Legends
by AlexzandriaMalfoy
Summary: Sebastian Smythe is invited by Rip Hunter to join him and eight others in a journey to save the timeline.
1. 0

Sebastian's mother had been killed when he was seven years old. He was forced to go live with some extended family in Paris, while his brother, Barry, stayed in Central City. 12 years had passed since then, and Sebastian was back in Central City with Barry. They were going to the activation of the particle accelerator.

"Hey! My laptop! It has my dissertation!" Iris said, catching the attention of the two brothers. Barry took off running after the guy who now had Iris's laptop, and Sebastian and Iris weren't that far behind him.

When they finally caught up, Barry had stopped because he'd been hit in the stomach by the guy, who was now scaling the fence. Sebastian over, and began climbing the fence himself. As his feet hit the ground on the other side, a hot police officer had stopped the guy.

Twenty minutes later, they were sitting inside the CCPD.

"Who is that guy and what is he so proud of?" iris asked. "So what? He caught a mugger."

"He's a transfer from Keystone." Barry answered. "Started a few weeks ago. Eddie Thawne."

"Oh, that's detective pretty boy." Iris commented. When Barry gave her a look, she added, "That's what my dad calls him. Says he actually keep score when it comes to arrests."

"Well, he isn't wrong on the pretty boy part." Sebastian said, causing both to stare at him. "Don't give me those looks, or I'll go flirt with him right now, and make it weird for Barry."

"Okay, fine." Iris said.

"Well, I'm gonna head home. I've got class tomorrow." Sebastian said. Barry nodded.

"I'll see you later." he said.

When Sebastian got outside, he pulled the hood of his sweatshirt up because it was raining. Luckily, the apartment that he shared with Barry was only a few blocks away. As he walked, he heard a rumble, but he just assumed it was thunder, until a weird feeling pass over him. Shortly after he'd gotten to the apartment, Iris called him, breaking the news that Barry had been struck by lightning.

After Barry woke up from a nine month coma and found out that he had superpowers, he'd told Sebastian almost right away. It was another seven months before Sebastian discovered his power. He and Barry had been messing around, and he tripped. All he knew is that he'd sent out some kind of blast.

S.T.A.R. Labs had run tests, and confirmed that he was a meta-human.

A/n

Sebastian's powers are energy projection. Basically like Cisco's vibe blasts, but less noticeable. But he can't vibe or open breaches.


	2. 1

Sebastian let out a huff of frustration. He was still getting a grip on his powers, and today didn't seem to be a very good day, because they weren't working well. Barry punched to criminal they'd gone after.

"Go." he said. "I'll meet you at S.T.A.R. Labs."

Barry nodded and ran, taking the unconscious man with him.

"Mr. Smythe." a man said. Sebastian whipped around, alarmed as the guy knew who he was. "I've been looking forward to meeting you."

Moments later, Sebastian had been knocked unconscious.

Sebastian woke up, confused as all hell. Where was he?

"Where are we?" an unfamiliar voice asked.

"Why don't you ask the dude who knocked us out and kidnapped us?" Jefferson Jackson, or Jax, asked. "British dude with the flashy thing? Ring any bells

"The name's Rip Hunter." the man from before had said. "I'm from East London. Oh, and the future."

"Nice to meet you, Rip." Mick Rory commented.

"Uh, while you were incapacitated, I may have tampered with your weapons." Rip said. "I've assembled you all because I need your help. The future of the world is in peril because of a man by the name of Vandal Savage."

"That can't be." Carter Hall said. "We destroyed him."

"Yeah, the Green Arrow and the Flash helped us do it." Kendra Saunders said.

"And therein lay the problem." Rip said. "Unless you or Mr. Hall deliver the death blow, Savage can be restored from but a single cell."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Mick asked.

"Vandal is immortal. Kendra and I reincarnate." Carter said.

"Yeah, I've done that." the woman said.

"And what the hell does this Randall guy gotta do with us?" Mick asked.

"Vandal." Rip corrected. "In the future, he will employ the evil he's perfected over his long life, and the power he has amassed throughout history, to finally conquer the world. I've been tasked with assembling an elite team to stop him."

"How?" the woman asked.

"To travel through time." Rip answered. "To capture Savage before he grows into the monster he becomes."

"You got the wrong guy." Snart said. "Hero ain't on my resume."

"Or mine." Mick added.

"I know it's difficult for you to fathom, but where- when, I'm from, the year 2166, you and everyone on this roof aren't just considered heroes." Rip said. "You're legends."

"Legends?" Ray asked after a moment.

"I, um, I hate to nitpick, but doesn't a legend have to be dead?" Stein asked.

"Yeah, see, uh, that's a deal breaker for me, so I'm gonna pass." Jax said.

"It's dangerous for any of you to know too much about your own futures, but I am here because each of you, as individuals is destined for greatness." Rip said.

"I could get behind that." Ray said.

"And, because if you don't follow me, this is what is in store for your world 150 years from now." Rip said, and held up a device that projected a hologram of the city in ruins. He shut it off as he began to speak again. "I could have chosen any time and any place. Of all the people who ever lived, I chose you nine. I certainly hope that you won't let me, and the world, down." He began walking away, and handed a paper to Stein. "If your answer is yes, meet me at this address in 36 hours."

Sebastian had just finished explaining to Barry what Rip had told them, or at least a brief version of it.

"So...you're going to travel through time to stop Vandal Savage?" Barry asked.

"Pretty much." Sebastian said. "Do you I should go?"

"I think you should go if you think it's something you want to do." Barry said.

"You aren't making this easier." Sebastian said, causing Barry to laugh.

"Do you want to go?" Barry asked. Sebastian thought about it for a second, then nodded.

"The only thing is, what about my power?" Sebastian said. "I still don't get them."

"Sebastian, you're going to be with a bunch of futuristic tech and resources." Barry said. "If anything, it should help you."

Sebastian nodded. "Thanks." he said. "I don't think I have time to go see Dad before the time is up, so make sure to tell him that I said bye. And don't even think of speeding me, you know I hate that."

Barry laughed. "Come on? Just this once?" Barry said.

"No." Sebastian said, his tone firm. Barry started to grin. "Barry, n-"

Moments later, he found himself stumbling and crashing onto the couch in his dad's cabin.

"God dammit, Barry!" Sebastian said.

"What the hell?" Henry asked, seeing his sons.

"Hey, Dad." Sebastian said.

Barry had promised to explain his absence to everyone else. After he'd hugged his brother one last time, he was sped to the location without warning.

"I hate you!" Sebastian muttered to himself as he had to regain his balance. He turned to face the group. "Am I late?"

"No, you're just on time, Mr. Smythe." Rip said. "I see you've all decided to come. Well then, we can be on our way."

"I ain't footing it anywhere." Snart said, crossing his arms.

"A time master's sacred charge is to do no harm to the timeline." Rip said, pulling a device out of his pocket. "Can you imagine what a time ship would look like in, say, Victorian England?"

"Holographic indigenous camouflage projection." Stein said.

"Indeed." Rip said, and pressed the button on the device. A large ship appeared from thin air.

"Cool." Sebastian said.

"It's called the Waverider." Rip said. "It's been my ship for over a decade." He turned to look at the nine. "Shall we?"

The group began to walk towards the ship; all except for Jax, who was unconscious and being carried by Mick.

Sebastian was amazed by the ship. It seemed even bigger on the inside (he had gotten lost at least twice, before locating the rest of the group on the bridge).

"How does a vessel of this size function without a crew?" Stein asked.

"Oh, I don't need one. I have Gideon." Rip answered. The AI turned on.

"Welcome aboard." she said. "I am Gideon, and interactive artificial consciousness, programmed to operate this vessel's critical systems and aid Captain Hunter in his mission."

"Captain?" Snart asked.

"Gideon's been working on helping me locate Vandal Savage." Rip said.

"I thought you said he's pretty active in the 22nd century." Ray said.

"Perhaps engaging Savage at the height of his powers isn't the best strategy." Stein said.

"Indeed." Rip said. "Unfortunately, Savage has kept his movements hidden throughout history. Not even Gideon can determine where or when we can find him. But, I have the next best thing: the man who can. Professor Aldus Boardman. Professor Boardman is the world's leading- well, only- expert on Vandal Savage. We're gonna pay him a little visit."

"Course plotted for St. Roch, New Orleans." Gideon said.

"St. Roch?" Carter asked.

"October 17th, 1975." Gideon said.

"Now, I suggest you all strap yourselves in." Rip said, sitting down himself. "Temporal navigation isn't something one wants to be standing up for."

Sebastian sat down in one of the many seats, and pulled the bar down, like the ones on rides that you'd find in an amusement park.

"Time travel." Mick said. "Cool."

"Some of you may experience some slight discomfort." Rip warned. "In very rare instances, there will be, uh, bleeding from the eyeballs."

"Wait, wait?" Sebastian said. But Rip didn't answer, just pressed a button.

"The human body is used to time unfolding linearly." Rip said. The ship began rumbling, and it woke Jax up.

"Oh, Jefferson, I'm so glad you're awake." Stein said. "I didn't want to to miss this."

"Miss what?" Jax asked groggily. Then he seemed to wake up more. "What the-"

"Oh, no. I wouldn't unfasten those if I were you." Rip said.

"Get me off this- whatever this thing is!" Jax said.

"Good luck explaining this." Sara said.

"I did him a favor." Stein said.

"He doesn't look all that grateful." Snart said.

"Just hang on and stay calm." Rip said.

"Easy for you to say. You've done this before." Sebastian replied.

"All you worlds are about to change." Rip said.

As they landed, Sebastian felt like Barry had just sped him somewhere, only it was many times worse. Sebastian threw up after a few moments.

"Oh, I should have mentioned it before." Rip said. "Nausea is one of the side effects of time travel."

"Definitely would've been nice to know." Sebastian said weakly as he sat back up.

"Along with-" Rip was cut off as Ray fell. "Vertigo."

"I can't see." Stein said.

"And temporary blindness." Rip said. "Oh, it should only last a minute. After all, that was a mere jaunt. The further back in time you go, the worse the side effects. Better?"

"It's all relative." Stein said.

"Good." Rip said.

"I can't believe you kidnapped me." Jax said. "Hey, I want to go home."

"Good news, then. 2016 will be around in, uh, 41 years." Rip said, then pointed at Mick, Snart, Sebastian, and the woman whose name Sebastian still didn't know. "Now, you four, feel free to make yourselves comfortable back here on the ship, while the rest of you are coming with me to find Professor Boardman."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa." Mick said. "You're benching us?"

"I thought we were a team." the woman said.

"This mission doesn't require your particular skill set." Rip said. "Yet."

"Meaning you don't need anyone killed, maimed, or robbed." Snart said.

"Precisely." Rip said.

"You sure it's a good idea to leave these two unsupervised on a time ship?" Ray asked.

"Hey, Haircut." Mick said. "Deafness wasn't one of the side effects."

"We better hurry up." Rip said. "Professor Boardman will die in less than 24 hours."

"What's the point in cutting it so close?" Ray asked.

"Because if he's destined to die, then he doesn't have a timeline for us to disrupt, and his impact on the future will be minimal." Stein said. "How brilliant."

"And depressing." Kendra added. "How does he die?"

"Uh, he's found dead in his university from unknown causes." Rip said. "Come on."

"Are you coming?" Stein asked Jax when he didn't move.

"I'll stay put." Jax said.

"You'd rather stay with them?" Stein asked, pointing at Mick and Snart.

"They didn't drug me." Jax said.

"Point taken." Stein said, and followed the others.

"Drame reine." Sebastian muttered.

"What?" Jax asked, but Sebastian didn't respond.

"I believe he just called you a drama queen." Gideon said.

"Thanks, Gideon." Sebastian said sarcastically.

"Why does this stupid station play nothing but reruns?" Mick asked, referring to the TV.

"Don't even bothering trying to explain." Jax said.

"Am I the only one on this ship who could really use a drink?" Sara, who's name Sebastian had finally learned, asked. "I say we go get weird in the '70s."

"Excellent idea." Snart said.

"I'm down." Sebastian said.

"I've got the perfect outfit." Sara said.

"Perhaps Captain Hunter was unclear with his instructions to remain on board." Gideon said.

"Shut it, metal mouth." Mick said.

"Oh, you're not quite ready to run with this crew. Sorry, kid." Snart said to Jax.

"Wait, you're just going to leave me here?" Jax asked.

"I said I'd take care of you." Snart said.

"Ah. Dollar beers." Mick said. "You got to love the '70s." Sebastian grabbed one of the bottles. "Who wants to listen to some Captain and Tennille? My mother played it. A lot."

Mick walked over to the jukebox and hit a button.

"Wow, you guys are really far out." a random woman said, walking past them.

"You want to dance, Leonard?" Sara asked.

"You go right ahead." Snart said. "I'll watch."

"Suit yourself. What about you, Sebastian?" Sara asked. Sebastian quickly downed the contents of his bottle and set it down.

"I'm just going to get another drink." he said. Sara handed her bottle to Snart, while Sebastian walked up to the bar. "Some vodka, please."

He heard a cry of pain behind him, and whipped around, in time to see a guy about to crash into him. He put his hands up and was glad the guy had been so close when his powers sent the guy stumbling the other direction. He payed no mind to Sebastian though.

"Son of a bitch!" the guy yelled. He smashed a bottle on the counter, and went after Sara with it. Sara knocked the bottle out of his hand, and hit him in the face. More guys came at Sara, throwing punches.

"Oh, great." Sebastian said. He noticed the glass sitting in front of him, and downed it.

"Now I could stand for a little help." Sara said. He walked over, and punched one of the guys, and shook the pain out of his hand.

"Anybody else?" he said.

When they got to the Waverider, it was under attack.

"We go out for one lousy drink and you guys somehow manage to pick a fight with Boba Fett." Snart said, firing up his gun.

"Let's get to the ship!" Sara said. Once inside the ship, Sebastian leaned against the wall.

"Now what?" he asked, but his voice was drowned out as Gideon spoke.

"Professor Boardman has sustained severe internal injuries." Gideon said.

"Prepare the MedBay to receive Professor Boardman, and get us out of here." Rip said.

"Coarse heading?" Gideon asked.

"Anywhere but here."

"Our cloaking shield and aft entrance have been significantly compromised, Captain." Gideon said.

"Yes, I can see that, Gideon." Rip said. "Station us in the temporal zone while I work on repairs."

"Temporal zone?" Ray asked.

"Yeah, it's essentially a time limbo." Rip said. "We can hide out there for a bit. Another temporal jump would risk revealing our position."

"A time limbo?" Stein asked. "Astonishing."

"Oh, there's something you people don't know about time travel? That's surprising, isn't it?" Rip said. "Considering none of you have ever time traveled before. Bringing a family member from the past onto a timeship? Breaking out and carousing around the 1970s? We've barely begun, and already this is the worst, unmitigated disaster of my career."

Kendra punched Rip, and Mick laughed. "I see why you got the hots for that one." Mick said.

"My son is hurt because of you." Kendra said, gripping Rip's jacket tightly. "Who attacked us?"

"Something of a long story." Rip said with a sigh.

"Better tell it fast, Rip, 'cause it doesn't look like the lady's in a patient mood." Snart said.

"Neither am I." Carter said.

"His name is Chronos." Rip said. "He works for the Council of Time Masters." Kendra let go of his jacket. "My former employers."

Sara stood up. "I thought you were a Time Master." she said.

"As I've expressed, time's not a linear thing." Rip said, walking towards Sara. "At some point I was, in fact, a Time Master." Sara slapped Rip in the face. "Would you people please stop hitting me?"

"I would if my knuckles weren't bruised." Sebastian said. "You lied to us."

"Start telling the truth." Sara demanded.

"I relinquished my position as a Time Master when I commandeered the Waverider. Chronos was clearly sent to bring me in."

"You lied to us." Stein said.

"Of course I lied to you." Rip said. "I needed your help; you all barely said yes as it was"

"What about the legends part?" Jax asked.

"Ooh, you lied about that, too, didn't you?" Snart said when Rip hesitated.

"I chose you all because a hundred years from now, your lives have minimal effect on the recorded timeline." Rip said. "I needed your help without disturbing the history of 2166."

"So we're like the opposites of legends." Jax said.

"Give me one good reason why we shouldn't kill you." Mick said.

"Ditto the arsonist." Stein said.

"Because Gideon wouldn't listen to your commands and you'd be stuck here forever." Rip said.

"Great, so we're not an elite team of heroes on a sanctioned mission, sent to rid the future of it's most horrific bad guy." Ray said. "Just a collection of nobodies who time doesn't really give a damn about."

"I didn't lie about the mission itself." Rip said. "Or the brutality and ruthlessness of Savage. Or my need for your help."

"So you were just using us, then?" Sebastian asked.

"What's this really about, Rip?" Ray asked. "I don't imagine you're the kind of person to quit his job and take on this kind of threat for altruistic reasons, so why don't you tell us: what did Vandal Savage do to you?"

Rip sighed. "The Time Masters discourage marriage. They urge against procreation even more. A time master should be free of any personal entanglements that might compromise him. But...I fell in love, and we had a child. A boy. Jonas."

"Savage killed your family." Ray said.

"He slaughtered my family." Rip said. "And thousands of other families. And that body I swore an oath to serve turned a blind eye. They continue to turn a blind eye. I won't. The last thing that my child saw in this world was that monster's face. You can be damn well sure that when Savage dies, the last face he sees will be mine. I understand, given the circumstances, if you wish to return home. We can make the jump once repairs are done, if and when Professor Boardman stabilizes."

"I think we all need a little time to consider our options." Stein said.

Sebastian was beginning to nod off, when a blast and a loud "Watch it!" startled him. He was sitting in one of the Waverider's many rooms with Sara, Ray, Mick, and Snart.

"Sorry. Sorry." Ray said, the blast had come from him. "What's the point of us even giving this a second thought? Rip has already seen the future, he knows exactly what's in store for each of us. Might as well have stayed dead, 'cause the world doesn't need any of us. You're just a lost assassin. You're just a pair of good-for-nothing criminals. And you're the Flash's little brother."

"I can live with that." Mick said.

"I can't. Can't live with somebody putting a cap on my destiny." Ray said. "Spent my whole life working to be something greater, by becoming something smaller. Then some guy comes along and tells me that being the Atom is as insignificant as an actual atom."

"That's not what he said." Sara said. "Rip said that in his future we're nobodies, but this mission is about changing the future. I mean, if we have the power to change the world, don't you think we have the power to change our own fate?"

"For better or for worse." Snart said.

"That is a very good point." Ray said.

"Time wants to happen." Rip said as the five, plus Jax and Stein, walked into the main room of the Waverider. "Chronos, even Vandal, won't be the only enemy we will face. Very often, it will be time itself."

"Whether it wants to happen or not, we're gonna change time, erase Savage's future, and earn out rightful place in history." Ray said.

"Dr. Palmer is correct." Stein said. "We may not be legends in your time, Captain, but we are going to decide our own fates."

"I don't give a damn about being a legend, as long as we end Savage once and for all." Carter said.

"I can get down with that." Jax said.

"And our malcontents?" Stein said.

"I like killing people." Mick said.

"We're in." Snart said. "For now."

"So how do we find this guy?" Sara asked.

"Professor Boardman had a theory about that." Rip said. "I've already had Gideon plot a course."


	3. 2

"And, we've arrived." Rip said. "Gideon, if you wouldn't mind camouflaging us as an alpine meadow, perhaps?"

"What are you complaining about now?" Snart asked. "It's not like we time jumped."

"I hate flying." Mick said. "Especially in...whatever this thing is."

"Where exactly are we?" Carter asked as Sebastian got to his feet and stretched.

"We're still in 1975, right?" Kendra asked.

"Indeed." Rip answered, standing up and walking across the room. "October 1975 on the fjords of northern Norway."

"Sounds like a vacation." Snart said as the rest of the group, except for Mick, got to their feet.

"Which we can take as soon as the threat of Savage has been neutralized, Mr. Snart." Rip said, grabbing a small book.

"That's Aldus's book." Mick said.

"Now he theorized that Savage might be here, and if he's right, and if we can capture Savage, then at least Professor Boardman didn't die in vain." Rip said.

"Can't we just go back and save Aldus?" Kendra asked.

"He was our son." Carter said.

"Look, I'm sorry." Rip said. "We can't go back and change events in which we participated. Time would fold in on itself, creating a temporal vortex."

"Which sounds way cooler than it is." Ray said.

"Forgetting physics for a second, shouldn't we figure out what Savage is doing in Norway?" Sara asked.

"According to Gideon, there is a large meeting of terrorists and fringe groups looking to buy illegal arms." Rip said.

"Now that sounds like a vacation." Mick said.

"Arms dealers and terrorists aren't exactly our kind of people, but they're the next best thing." Snart said, leaning against the centrla console, which the group had gathered around.

"Well, looks like you and your lapdog get to earn your keep." Carter said.

"I'm no-one's lapdog, Bird-man." Mick said.

"So, what exactly does one wear to a black market arms bazaar, anyway?" Kendra asked.

"The Waverider has a fabrication room which can fashion temporally indigenous, uh, fashion." Rip said, walking into his office.

"You've got a room that makes clothing?" Jax asked.

"Doesn't everyone?" Rip said.

"Alright, the first thing we need to do is work up a plan." Ray said as he, Sebastian, Mick, Snart, and Rip walked down the Waverider's halls.

"Got a lot of experience infiltrating criminal gatherings?" Snart asked, and didn't give Ray a chance to respond. "Didn't think so. I'm calling the shots."

"Actually, I'm in charge, and case any of you have forgotten." Rip interjected.

"No, I remember, I just don't care" Snart said.

"Do I need to remind any of you that I'm a time master?" Rip said.

"Former." Sebastian corrected.

"Making discreet alterations is what I do, so we're not gonna just charge into the past like a bull into a china shop-" Rip was cut off by Mick.

"Half of what you've told us about the mission turned out to be lies." he said.

"None of you have ever encountered Vandal Savage before." Rip said.

"I did." Sebastian said, but was ignored by Rip.

"I have, and I'm telling you now, you are making a big mistake."

Ray scoffed. "Already did that when we trusted you." he said.

"Back soon, Captain." Mick said. Sebastian walked past Rip, following the other three.

Sebastian, Snart, Mick, Sara, and Stein walked across the pavement.

"Looks like they're checking credentials." Sara said. "And we don't have any."

"We got this, trust us." Mick said. Snart pushed someone walking past, grabbing the guy's ID, which was just a small orange card.

"Excuse you." Snart said. They walked towards the man in front of the door.

"ID's." he said. Snart handed him the card. The guy took it and read it. "You don't look like an Amhad Ahmed Izz-Al-Din."

"I'm Arab. On my mother's side." Snart lied smoothly.

"Is there a problem?" Stein asked loudly, and walked up to the man. "I don't like delays. Do you know who we are? My associates and I are the operational arm of Scimitar. The Lambardo Square bombing, 1963. Murder of Henri Tyran, Canada, 1970. Konig Airport massacre, 1971. Bottom line? You don't want to doubt me."

Snart reached past Stein, and took the orange card back, and the group moved past the man.

"We're in." Snart said.

"So why don't I get to play terrorist?" Jax asked through the comms as Sebastian, Sara, and Stein separated from Mick and Snart. Then Sebastian separated from those two.

"This is just a kidnapping." Snart answered. "No need for your nuclear fireworks. Savage'll be one of the buyers. Once we get eyes on, hang back. We'll boost him once this is all over."

"Any sign of him?" Carter asked.

"No." Snart answered.

"He's not here, boss." Mick said.

"If I could have your attention." a man said. "Thank you all for coming. I promise it will be well worth your time."

"Eyes on Savage." Sebastian said as Savage walked onto the stage.

"Seems we were wrong about Savage." Stein said. "He's not one of the buyers."

"He's the seller." Sara said.

"This is a variable-yield nuclear warhead, capable of producing a blast equivalent to one megaton of TNT." Savage said, as two men rolled out said warhead.

"Shall we begin our bidding at $100 million?" one of the men said. A gunshot went off. "$100 million. Do I hear $105?" Another gunshot. This went on for a couple of minutes, before Sebastian noticed Savage staring at them.

"It's seems we've drawn some unwanted attention." Stein said. "We need to bid, fire your gun in the air."

Mick didn't hesitate, and shot his gun. "That's $125 million."

"Um...what's happening?" Sara asked.

"Going once..."

"It's what's not happening that's the concern." Stein said.

"Nobody else is bidding." Snart said.

"Going twice...sold!"

"We just bought a nuclear bomb." Sebastian said.

"Congratulations, Professor." Mick said. A man approached them from within the crowd.

"Well, well. We seem to have a new player." he said. "But you seem to be a bit academic. How did you get in here and who are you?"

"As of a few seconds ago, I'm a nuclear power." Stein answered.

"Yet I don't know you or your organization, and I know everyone." the man said.

"Like you said, new players." Sebastian snarled, stepping forward. "So why don't you move it before my friend here shoots you."

"Is there some sort of problem here?" Savage asked, walking over.

"Yes, this guy doesn't seem to know how to accept that he lost." Sebastian said, shoving the man's shoulder.

"We're just going to get our nuclear warhead and be on our way." Snart said.

"Not without paying first." the man still onstage said.

"Once we've validated that the warhead's operational." Stein said. "Personally, I find it highly unlikely that you were able to accumulate enough fissionable material in this era to fashion a workable nuclear device."

"This era?" Savage questioned.

"Figure of speech." Stein covered. Savage walked back up to the stage.

"Change of plans." he said. "I'll provide a 25% discount to the organization which brings me the heads of these men."

"Merde." Sebastian muttered.

"Can I burn some stuff now?" Mick asked.

"I wish you would." Snart said. Mick fired his heat gun, starting the chaos. Sebastian hoped that his powers wouldn't act up right now. A man with a gun aimed it at Sebastian and began firing it. Sebastian deflected the bullets as best as he could. The bullets went off in many direction, a few hitting the man. One of the bullets still managed to lodge itself in his leg.

"Oh, fils de pute!" Sebastian cried. He limped over behind some crates, and put pressure onto the wound, but wincing as he did so. He did his best to tear his shirt. He bit his lip hard as he pulled the bullet from his flesh. It luckily hadn't gone in far. He tied the ripped portion of his shirt around his leg.

"Um, we got a nuclear bomb here." Sara said.

"Wait, really? I thought it was a frickin bunny." Sebastian said snarkily.

"That's doesn't help, Sebastian." Sara said. Sebastian was ready with another remark when she spoke again. "Ray! What did you do?"

"What did Ray do?" Sebastian asked, but didn't get a response.

"Professor, Jax, we need you." Sara said.

"Well, I'm really glad you were the one calling the shots." Ray said to Snart.

"I had it under control until the Professor started picking fights with the PLO." Snart said.

"You let your ego endanger our entire mission." Carter said. Sebastian leaned against the frame of the door for a second, exhausted from the walk. All of the others had been to busy bickering to notice that their teammate was hurt, and he was way too stubborn to ask for help.

"No, Mr. Smythe's temper got way out of control-"

"Me? You all are the one's assigning blame to each other when all of us had some part in it." Sebastian said exasperatedly. He collapsed into one of the seats.

"At least there's one less nuclear bomb on the planet." Kendra said.

"It wasn't even supposed to be here." Sebastian said, as Rip began to clap sarcastically.

"Here, here." he said. "Now you all deserve a hearty congratulations. Not only did you fail to capture Savage and you exposed yourselves and your powers to him, giving away the element of surprise for now and all time. Well done, team."

"We don't need the element of surprise." Carter said. "We know he's in Norway, so let's find him-"

"Unfortunately, we now have larger problems than Savage." Rip said. "If only you'd have listened to me-"

"We've got it, Rip. We failed." Sebastian said, cutting the man off. "Get on with your point."

"If you'd only listened to me about the dangers of upsetting the timeline." Rip said.

"What do you mean?" Kendra asked.

"While you were busy saving Norway from nuclear annihilation-" Rip was cut off by Mick.

"You're welcome, Norway."

"Savage sent one of his cronies back to the site of the arms sale." Rip said. "Anyone care to guess what he found?"

Ray began searching his super suit. "Whoops." he said, and Gideon appeared.

"I am unversed in modern American colloquialisms." she said. "Is whoops slang for oh-"

"Yes." Rip said. "Dr. Palmer seems to have thrown a spanner in the works for the entire timeline."

"Come again?" Snart said.

"Armed with Dr. Palmer's future technology, Savage's engineers develop a weapon far more destructive than anything here in 1975. This is central City in 2016." Rip pulled up a hologram of the city in flames. "At least it was. I'm not sure what the neo-fascists who took control of it are calling it these days."

"You better fix that." Sebastian said, pointing at it, before dropping his arm.

"There must be a way to correct this somehow." Stein said.

"Fortunately, Gideon is just showing us a forecast of the future you've all created." Rip said. "Time is like cement. It takes time for it to become permanent. In this case, until Savage's team have worked out the mystery of your future technology and molded it to their own ends. And when they do, what you see here is no longer just a forecast. This...this is history."

"So, thanks to Raymond leaving a piece of his suit in the past, the rest of us don't have a future to go back to?" Snart asked.

"Unless we do something to change this course of events, the future will become immutable." Rip said.

"Exactly how much time do we have?" Ray asked.

"Until Savage's weapons team reverse-engineer your tech." Rip said.

"We're talking 1970's terrorists with 21st century weapons." Stein said. "And since we don't know where Savage went-"

Ray stood up. "We don't have to find Savage." he said. "We just have to find the other piece of my suit. Which shrinks because it's made of an alloy which mimics intra-molecular compression of a dwarf star, thus emitting Alpha Particles."

"So we just need to be able to track them." Stein said. "Fortunately, Alpha Particles are highly trackable."

"Yet unheard of in the 1970s." Ray said. "It's like we're trapped in the stone age."

"I'll have you know that I was researching Alpha Particles when you were eating crayons." Stein said. Sebastian scrunched his nose at the idea of anybody eating crayons.

"So to track that piece of Raymond's super suit, we just need to talk to..." Snart said.

"Me." Stein said. "Twenty-five year old me, rather."

"You two are just in time." Rip said as Kendra and Carter came in.

"Show them, Kendra." Carter said. Kendra held out a paper.

"Aldus was carrying this when he was killed." Kendra said. Rip took the paper. "It's a newspaper article about an Egyptian dagger."

"The one Savage used to kill us." Carter said.

"In Central City, we learned that objects associated with the night of our deaths can also be used to kill Savage." Kendra explained.

"According to Aldus's notes, the dagger needs to be wielded in conjunction with an incantation inscribed in it." Carter said.

"What does this incantation say?" Stein asked.

"I don't know. I can't read the language." Kendra said.

"It's okay." Carter said. "I'll help you remember.

"Splendid. Now as for the dagger..." Rip said.

"You need someone to steal it." Ray said.

"Okay, fine." Snart said, grabbing the piece of paper. "Whatever. I'll do it."

"Really twisting your arm, are they?" Sebastian remarked.

"Article says it was purchased by some rich Russian douchebag named Sasha Mohnovski." Snart said.

"I'll go with you." Ray volunteered.

"I already got a partner." Snart said, walking away.

"Who I trust even less than you." Ray said.

"Look, you're more than welcome to go with them." Rip said. "Just don't take along any of your future tech."

Ray turned and left, and Stein was about to go off in another direction.

"Oi! Where do you think you're going?" Rip asked.

"To break into my old lab and bring us back the particle tracker." Stein answered.

"Fine, but perhaps, you should take Jefferson, Sara, and Sebastian with you to act as your intermediaries. Look, interacting with yourself in the past can have catastrophic effects upon the future."

"Fascinating." Stein said. "Let's go."

"Setting a course for the United States, Captain." Gideon said. "And may I recommend that instead Mr. Smythe report to the med-bay?"

"Seriously, Gideon?" Sebastian asked as everybody looked at him.

"Well, you seem to have-"

"I know." Sebastian said, standing up and began to limp out of the room.

"What the hell happened?" Sara asked.

"I suppose you'd know if you all hadn't been so busy fighting each other on the way back." Sebastian snapped, and walked out.

A couple of hours later, Sebastian was back in the main room, just sitting in one of the chairs.

"Unbelievable." an unfamiliar voice said. "Is that a tachyon manifold?"

Sebastian turned his head to see Sara, Jax, Stein, and another man.

"Hey, how did you find us, man?" Jax asked.

"What the hell?" Sebastian said.

"That's Marty." Sara said, leaning on the back of his seat. "Or Stein when he was younger."

"What is he doing here?" Sebastian hissed.

"You think I couldn't build something to track my own tracker?" the younger Stein said.

"Do you have any idea what you have done?" Stein asked.

"What I've done?" younger Stein asked. "You guys knocked me out."

"Which we wouldn't have had to do in the first place if you weren't such a monumental jerk!" Stein said.

"He does realize he's talking to himself, right?" Sebastian muttered to Sara.

"Okay, uh, can I just- yeah." Jax interjected, and began to pull Stein from the room.

"Watch him, guys." Stein said.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on?" younger Stein asked after a few minutes when Stein and Jax came back.

"You didn't say anything to him?" Stein asked.

"I figured we screwed up the '70s enough." Sara said with a shrug.

"Hey, w-what are you talking about?" younger Stein asked. "A-are you saying that you're-"

"Don't say another word. Don't even think it." Stein cut off his younger self. He held out a device. "You are to get off this ship, post haste."

"Oh, wonderful." Rip said as he walked in. "Another unauthorized passenger. That worked out so splendidly last time."

"It's alright. He was just leaving." Stein said.

"I'll show you out." Jax said.

"So, have we met before?" younger Stein asked.

"In a manner of speaking." Stein answered. "Ha-have a wonderful life, Martin. I mean that sincerely."

"I am not even going to ask." Rip said as Jax walked out with the younger Stein.

"Captain Hunter, we're getting an incoming communique." Gideon said. "Mr. Snart on Mr. Rory's comm unit."

"On speaker." Rip said.

"I'll make this short. The owner of the mansion we burgled is Vandal Savage." Snart said. "He's really interested in meeting you guys, especially our feathered friends."

"They have the dagger." Rip said.

"And Savage has them." Sara said as Carter and Kendra walked in.

"Doesn't matter." Carter said. "Just get me close enough, and I'll do what's needed to be done."

"I have the coordinates." Gideon said.

"Let's do this." Rip said.

"Carter's dead." Sara told Sebastian.

"One day in and somebody dies." he said. "Is Kendra okay?"

"She's hurt. Gideon thinks she'll be okay." Sara answered. "How's your leg?"

"Great. Gideon fixed it, for the most part." Sebastian said.

Rip and Stein came in a little while later.

"How's Kendra?" Stein asked.

"The same." Sara answered.

"So what now?" Jax asked.

"Now?" Rip said. "Now it's up to you."

"To do what, Rip?" Snart asked. "Last I checked, every time we try to do anything it all goes to crap."

"Oh, once again I must disagree with you." Rip said. "Thanks to Miss, Lance, Dr. Palmer's future technology is no longer in the hands of Vandal Savage's black market weapons designers."

"But it didn't do anything to change the fate of your world." Stein said.

"No." Rip said. "Vandal Savage will still rise to power in the year 2166."

"And your family will still die?"Jax asked, and Rip nodded.

"So what you're really asking is, do we want to fish, or cut bait?" Snart asked. "Return to 2016 and live out the rest of our lives as insignificant losers, or-"

"Make another play at becoming legends. Figure out how to end Savage and save the world." Ray said.

"Preferably without causing another nuclear explosion." Stein said.

"Savage has my attention." Mick said.

"Look, we didn't know Carter from Adam, but if you take out one of my crew, you better pay the price." Snart said.

"Surely Captain Hunter has a sound plan." Stein said, then looked at Jax. "What about you?"

"You're asking me?" Jax asked.

"I didn't give you much of a choice the first time, did I?" Stein asked.

"Well, I say we kick Savage's ass." Jax said. "For Carter."

"For Carter." each of the others repeated.

"So, Captain. Where are we going next?" Stein asked.


	4. 3

"We've arrived in Leipzig, Germany, the most current location for Vandal Savage." Gideon said. "And by the way, Captain, you are urgently needed in the MedBay."

Ten minutes later, Rip came back. "Pieces of the dagger have apparently broken off and are, as we speak, en route to her heart."

"Can't we just time jump into the future where they got the stuff that can fix her?" Jax asked.

"This ship is from that very same future and has, thus far, has been unsuccessful in saving her." Rip said.

"Kendra wouldn't survive the time jump anyway." Snart said. When Rip looked at him, he shrugged. "I pay attention."

"To sum up, Carter Hall is dead, the girlfriend's not too far behind, Vandal Savage is sitting pretty in 1975, which we're all stuck in." Mick said. "That how the plan supposed to work, Rip?"

"Obviously not, but the mission is simple." Rip said. "We stop Vandal Savage here in the past, and we save the future."

"Simple don't mean easy, Captain." Snart said.

"Oh, I never said it was." Rip said. "The benefit of being a Time Master-"

"Former." Sebastian corrected.

"-is that the length and breadth of history gives one...perspective." Rip said. "I've seen darker days. I've seen men of steel die and dark knights fall, even then I accomplished my mission no matter what. Gideon, what is our status?"

"When the Waverider was attacked by Chronos, the Jump Ship was damaged." Gideon said. "Unless you make repairs, we will be unable to-"

"Wait, Jumpship?" Jax asked.

"It's a small expeditionary vessel at the belly over the Waverider- you're a mechanic!" Rip said, and pointed at Jax. "You have a look at it."

"Uh, auto-mechanic." Jax said as Rip began to walk away. "Uh, spaceship." Rip just stared at him. "Okay, if you've got a set of wrenches, I'll see what I can do."

"What about the rest of us?" Mick asked. "Do we just sit?"

"Capital idea, Mr. Rory." Rip said. "You're not nearly as thick as most people say."

"Thick...does that mean stupid?" Mick asked. Sebastian snorted.

"Yes." he said.

"Gideon! Where's Savage's money now?" Rip asked.

"Dr. Boardman theorized that Savage entrusted it to the Bruemberg Group, the oldest bank in the world." Gideon answered.

"I'll go tell the rest of the team." Sara said, turning to leave, when Rip stopped her.

"That won't be necessary." he said. "I'm going alone."

"What?" Sebastian asked.

"I can't have anymore blood on my hands." Rip said.

"Except for your own?" Sara asked. "You can't go in there without backup."

"Look, I brought you all with me under false pretenses." Rip said. "Carter would be alive if I hadn't convinced him to come."

"No one's on this ship that doesn't want to be here." Sara said.

"And where would it leave us all if you were dead, Rip?" Sebastian asked. "Stuck in a broken time machine, in 1975."

"I can't risk the whole team." Rip said.

"Fine. Just us." Sara said. "And if it helps, I'm not giving you a choice. You have to take at least one of us with you to that bank."

"Somebody say bank?" Snart asked as he walked in.

"Your services aren't required, Mr. Snart." Rip said. "This is purely reconnaissance."

"We know how to case banks." Mick said as he walked in. Rip dropped his head in frustration. "We're practically bankers."

"Except we take the money out." Snart said.

"Yes, and when I need to steal something, you'll be the first to know, I assure you." Rip said.

"Listen, Englishman." Mick said. "I'm getting bored being stuck on this tin can. And when I get bored, I make bad decisions."

"Now, now, now, we're all on the same side here." Snart said. "My hot-headed friend and I just want to be helpful. That's all."

"Duly noted." Rip said. Sebastian followed Rip and Sara as they walked out of the room.

"Excuse me." Rip said, as the three walked up to the desk at the bank, setting his briefcase on it. "We'd like to deposit some family heirlooms."

"I'm sorry, we're a private bank." the woman said. "We don't secure valuables less than $10 million."

"Well, I'm sure this will less than suffice." Rip said, opening the case. "Doubloons from the wreck of the Esplanade. They've been appraised at $10 million...apiece."

The woman looked at the three, and led them into a side room. After the man examined the coins, he shook Rip's hand, then Sebastian's. "Such a pleasure." he said. "You won't regret your decision. The Bruemberg group is known for its discretion."

"I'm sure there'll be a fair deal of paperwork to sign." Rip said.

"Not too much." the man answered. "We like to cut through the red tape here. Let me get this to one of our safe deposit boxes, and I'll get my secretary to move in on this paperwork."

The man walked out with the case, leaving the three alone. As soon as he was gone, Rip got onto the computer. Sebastian watched for anybody who might come in.

"Interesting." Rip said. "There a records here referring to something called the vessel."

"We have a problem." Sara said.

"Yes, I know, none of Savage's funds are in this bank." Rip said. "I'm working on locating this vessel, but I'm not sure I'll do so before our new friend returns."

"To kill us." Sara said. Sebastian's eyes flicked to Sara, his face twisting in confusion. "The receptionist had a silenced Beretta under her desk. The guards, South African Mercenaries. You can tell by the initiation burns on their neck. And our new friend here has calluses on his right hand consistent with being Kuroda-trained swordsman."

"How do you know?" Rip asked.

"Because I have the same calluses." Sara said. "Which means they've probably figured out that we are not Rockefellers who just came into their inheritance."

"Oh, don't be so alarmist." Rip said. "Calluses are hardly definitive proof of anything."

"Pretty sure they made us." Sara said. She stood up and turned around. Standing in the lobby of the bank, many of its employees had a weapon of some kind. Rip stood up and the three walked out of the small office.

"Well, if this is how you treat your customers, we might just have to take our business elsewhere." Rip said. Sara drew a knife and threw it. The knife hit the receptionist and killed her. Rip turned to her. "I thought I specifically said no weapons!"

Sara hit his shoulder. "You can thank me later." she said, as she pulled out another knife. She killed two of the guys, then pulled out a new knife.

"Exactly how many knives do you have?" Rip asked.

"Remind me to never get on her bad side." Sebastian muttered, and joined the fight. Soon enough, Sara was fighting the only guy left.

"Sara!" Rip said as Sara pulled out another knife, about to kill the guy. "Sara, don't! We didn't get anything from the computer! We need him alive!"

Sara stepped back away from the guy.

"Let's try this again." Rip said.

"Back for more." the man commented.

"Where's Savage's fortune?" Rip asked. "Now, I'm particularly interested in this thing called the vessel."

"The vessel is my master's most treasured possession." the man said.

"What is it?" Sebastian asked.

"And where can we find it?" Rip asked.

"It's in the Greyhill building." the man answered. "There's a gathering tonight in celebration in it."

"And clearly you want us to go so we can get ourselves killed." Sara said, and Rip stood up.

"Clearly." the man answered.

"So what is the vessel?" Rip asked.

"It's the remains of Prince Khufu of the middle kingdom." the man said. "I believe you know him as Carter Hall."

"What is Savage going to do with Carter's body?" Sara asked.

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?"

Rip walked out and said, "Gideon, locate the Greyhill building and set a course."

Sebastian and Sara weren't far behind.

"Wait! We have a plan." Sara said. "Going after Savage's fortune."

"Yeah, well, not anymore!" Rip said. "I won't let Carter's remains be desecrated by that monster. I won't let him win again. And when Kendra wakes up- and she will wake up, she can give her soulmate a proper farewell."

"Then at least let us go in with the rest of the team!" Sara said.

"Gideon!" Rip said.

"Sir, Mr. Snart, Mr. Rory. and Mr. Jackson are no longer aboard the ship." Gideon said.

Sebastian stayed nearby as backup in case anything went wrong. However, neither Rip nor Sara contacted him for help. The comms had been silent the whole time. It was Mick, Snart, and Jax landing in the Jumpship that alerted him.

Sure enough, once they were inside, he found that Rip and Sara had been caught.

"Let's get this party started!" Mick yelled.

"Here's our invitation." Snart said. He and Mick went in, shooting their guns. Sebastian wasn't far behind, blasting one of the men that came at him backwards into the wall. The second guy he blasted in the stomach, and punched him in the face.

"Enough!" Savage yelled, and created some sort of laser. Sebastian dropped to the floor to avoid it.

"Get Carter's body out of here!" Rip instructed them. "Sara!"

"I got this." Sara said.

"I'll cover you guys." Sebastian said as Mick and Jax lifted Carter's body, and made their way towards the exit.

Sebastian and all the others stood outside, a tree shading them from the sun as they held a funeral for Carter and Professor Boardman, neither of which Sebastian knew well.

"The other day, I tried to find some words of inspiration." Rip said. "Words that would restore hope to us in the wake of our losses, but it is all of you who have inspired me. Beginning with Professor Boardman and then with Carter, their heroism is...an inspiration to us all. And a reminder that one person acting alone can't save the world."

Rip ran into the main room.

"Gideon, ready us for take off." he said.

"Whoa, are we being chased or something?" Jax asked.

"No, but I imagine that right about now, the museum has realized that their prized emerald is missing." Rip answered.

"You want me to say I'm sorry?" Snart asked.

"Sorry, I don't do sorry." Mick said.

"Which is fine, Mr. Rory, because you are owed the apology." Rip said. "I should have told you all before that this wasn't my first attempt to vanquish Vandal Savage, but the reason I failed before-"

"Was because you didn't have all of us." Ray said.

"Obviously Dr. Palmer and I had our hands full tending to Ms. Saunders, but now that she's back on her feet..." Stein said.

"We're back to full strength." Rip said.

"Or as strong as we can be without Carter." Kendra said.

"Quite true, but there is no point in us continuing any further." Rip said. "Unless we are all- and myself included, committed to working in concert."

"You don't ditch us, we won't ditch you." Snart said. "Deal?"

"Sir, I've completed my review of the timeline." Gideon said. "I calculate a 98% likelihood that Savage reappears in 1986."

"Chart a course, Gideon." Rip said.

"Guess we're headed to the '80s." Ray said. "Better break out your parachute pants."

"What the hell are parachute pants?" Jax asked.


	5. 4

"That wasn't so bad, was it?" Rip asked. They had just time-jumped, and it was only the second one for all of them, except for Rip.

"Walk in the park." Snart said. "So where are we now?"

"Washington D.C., the year is 1986." Rip answered.

"We've landed at the height of the Cold War in a world poised for nuclear annihilation." Stein said.

"We've traveled here because I have a new lead on Vandal Savage's location." Gideon said.

"Yes." Rip said. "Gideon managed to intercept this telefax concerning Savage's last known whereabouts."

"Tele-what?" Jax asked.

"It's like an email...on paper." Ray said. Sebastian looked at the pictures, almost everything had been blacked out.

"Wow, that's totally useless." Mick said.

"Dude, this whole thing's crossed out." Jax said.

"Yeah, redacted by the US government, which is why we are here to steal the original file on Savage back from those who are tracking him."

Sebastian looked out the window, and saw that they were approaching the Pentagon. "Oh, my god." he said.

"Uh, that's the..." Ray trailed off.

"Now, now. Don't worry, we are cloaked." Rip said.

"You want us to break into the Pentagon?" Mick asked. "Sounds awesome."

"It sounds crazy." Kendra said.

"What's the plan?" Sara asked.

"Oh, the fabricator will fashion you the necessary Pentagon credentials." Rip said.

"Ooh, and don't forget our G-man disguises." Ray added. Rip turned to look at him. "I always wanted to be a spy."

"Now, the file we're after is kept in a secure records room." Rip said. "In order to gain access, we're going to need to, uh, borrow a magnetic key card."

"Because this is so much easier than just shrinking down and stealing it." Ray said. He, Sebastian, and Snart were impersonating janitors.

"Let me show you how it's done...old school." Snart said. He dropped his mop, the wooden handle clattering on the ground. A lady walked by, and slipped. Snart caught her. "You okay, ma'am?"

"I wasn't watching where I was going." she answered. Snart put her back on her feet. "Thank you."

"Just doing my job." Snart said, and she walked away. Snart held up the key card.

"That's a nifty little trick." Ray said. Snart pulled out a wallet, causing Sebastian to snort. "Really? We're trying to save the world and you're lifting wallets?"

"It's called multitasking." Snart said as Sara and Kendra rounded the corner. He picked up the mop, and sneakily gave Sara the card.

"The records room has closed-circuit cameras. We need a diversion." Rip said.

"Someone call my name?" Mick asked.

"We got the file." Sara said.

"Okay, now for the tricky part. All personnel are subject to search upon exiting the Pentagon." Rip said. "Firestorm will divert the power long enough for you to exit."

"Ready when you are." Jax said. Minutes later, the alarm went off.

"We have a slight problem." Sara said.

"Where is that smoke coming from?" Rip asked. "We've got the file. What the hell does Kendra think she's doing?"

"Good question." Sara answered.

"Alright, wonderful, we've got a demigoddess who's gone completely berserk." Rip said. "Abort. I repeat, abort. Get back to the ship right now!"

"Roger that." Jax said.

"I meant use the door, but while you're at it, can you help return our winged avenger to her cage?" Rip said seconds later.

"Instead of dwelling on what went wrong, let's focus on the positive." Ray said.

"What are you talking about?" Mick asked. "It was awesome."

"In the same way that tsunamis, earthquakes, and other natural disasters are awesome." Stein said.

"We got the file on Savage." Kendra said.

"Despite the hiccup with the alarm?" Stein asked.

"Oh, so it's my fault now?" Jax asked. "You know, maybe if you weren't always yammering away in my head, I could actually focus."

"You have access to 60 years of knowledge of experience." Stein said. "Why not just take advantage of that?"

"Because it's my body on the line out there, not yours." Jax said.

"Hey, it's not your fault." Sara said. "Everything would have been fine if Big Bird over here hadn't freaked out."

"Excuse me?" Kendra said.

"Enough!" Rip said loudly. "There is plenty of blame to go around. Now, fortunately, Gideon was able to generate a low-end EMP, which erased all of the Pentagon's magnetic media."

"Like security footage?" Ray asked.

"Look, you're just lucky that the Department of Defense likes to keep incidents like this under wraps. Gideon, any luck with our purloined secret file?"

"Yes, Captain." Gideon said. "According to the Pentagon, Savage has defected to the Soviet Union."

"So, the most powerful evil the world has ever known has just gone red at the height of the Cold War."

"And now he's gonna help them cook up something that kills the future." Ray said.

"Gideon, set a course for the Soviet Union." Rip said.

The lights of the Waverider flickered. Sebastian walked down to the bridge. "What the hell is going on?" he asked.

"I've got heat seeking missiles closing in at a distance of less than a mile." Gideon said.

"Heat- why are there heat seeking missiles?" Sebastian asked.

"Gideon, I need you to cut the engines." Rip said.

"Whoa, wait, don't we need those to land?" Jax asked.

"I said cut them, Gideon." Rip said. Seconds later, the ship lurched. Sebastian grabbed onto one of the chairs.

"Missiles are now targeting something else." Gideon said.

"Chronos." Jax said.

"I suggest you all strap yourselves in." Rip said. Sebastian didn't hesitate to do so. "It's going to be a bit of a bumpy landing."

"Initiating emergency landing protocol." Gideon said.

"How's it going, Gideon?" Rip asked.

"There's not much more I can do." Gideon answered. "Elevation is 5,000. 4,000. 3,000."

"When I said bumpy, I meant, prepare for crash landing." Rip said. Sebastian jerked forward in his seat as they hit the ground. He grunted at the force of the impact.

"Good news, Captain." Gideon said. "Despite our rough landing, the ship is still fully operational."

"Welcome to the U.S.S.R., gentlemen." Rip said. Stein walked in moments later.

"If it were up to me, they would revoke your pilot's licence." he said.

"They are more than welcome to, considering I don't have one." Rip said. "Did you get anything on Savage from the Pentagon file?"

"It appears our friend has been quite busy since we last saw him." Stein said, setting said file onto the central console.

"Svarog?" Rip asked.

"God of Fire in Slavic mythology; a secret project the soviets are working on." Stein said as Ray picked up the file. "Considering Savage's involvement, most likely some sort of weapon."

"Valentina Vostok." Ray read from the file. "Graduated top of her physics program and then just dropped out of academia."

"To help develop Savage's new weapon, no doubt." Stein said.

"The Cold War's up for grabs, and Miss Vostok is the linchpin." Ray said, and Rip took the file from him.

"I say we put two in the back of her head and call it a day." Snart said.

"We have no idea who this woman is or what her effect may be on history." Ray said. "She may be the next Madame Curie for all we know."

"She's working for Savage, that's all we need to know." Snart said.

"She probably has no idea who's backing her research." Ray said. "Just let me approach her as a scientist, and we'll see what she knows about Savage's weapons program."

"It's 1986, you're American, and you don't speak Russian." Snart said. "She'll have you pegged as a spy in seconds."

"Perhaps I can help with that." Rip said. He set a small black case onto the central console, and opened it, revealing multiple green pills. He pushed it so it slid into the middle. "Ingestible translators. They attach to your larynx via neural interface. Swallow them; you can speak and understand any language spoken to you."

Ray and Snart each grabbed one, and swallowed them.

"How do you turn them on?" Stein asked.

"Gideon, switch him into Russian." Rip ordered. "Go on, say something."

"Я не знаю, что сказать." Ray said. "Подождите, я все еще говорю по-английски. Почему ты смотришь на меня...?" Rip looked looked at him. "Боже мой. Сейчас я говорю по-русски, не так ли?"

"Now you're annoying in multiple languages." Snart said.

"Gideon, switch him back to English." Rip said. "Now, according to Vostok's file, she's a big fan of the ballet. She has box seats at the Bolshoi and attends every performance."

"It seems the final performance of Le Roi Candaule is today." Gideon said.

"Dr. Palmer, you will engage Vostok at the ballet, whilst you, Mr. Snart...you're gonna be his wingman." Rip said.

"Better go bone up on Vostok's CV." Ray said.

"I guess I'll bone up on the ballet." Snart said. "Gideon, bone me."

"So, uh what happens?" Jax asked. Rip had just explained the deal he'd been given by the Time Masters. He was currently pouring himself a glass of alcohol. "You hand over the ship, turn yourself in to the Time Masters, and the rest of us-"

"Will be returned to your former lives in January 2016." Rip said. "It will be as if you never left."

"Aside from the fact that Starling City might be part of the U.S.S.R. thanks to our efforts."

"All the more reason to consider the offer." Rip said. "The Time Council will do everything within their power to correct the mistakes that we've made."

"But they still haven't changed their mind about stopping Savage?" Jax asked.

"Well, according to them, he's part of the natural course of history, terrible as that course may be." Rip said. "Look, I'm not saying that this offer is without its downsides. If we abandon our plan now, then I still lose my wife and son."

"And the fact that the reason you chose us for this is because we're nobodies. We just have to go back to 2016 knowing that?" Sebastian asked.

"Why throw in the towel?" Jax asked. "I thought you said this mission was bigger than any one of us."

"Yes, but if you'll remember, when I first recruited you, I wasn't entirely forthright about my motivations or about how dangerous this mission would be." Rip said.

"Carter Hall knew the risks before he signed on." Stein said.

"Well, for the rest of you, it's now time for you to decide whether the future is worth fighting for."

"In that case, I promise to stay here to ensure that your punishment is carried out properly." the Time Master said. "I wouldn't want you to die alone."

"Who said I was alone?" Rip asked. Firestorm went in, and Sebastian and Mick weren't far behind. They attacked the Time Master and Chronos. it ended with them fleeing.

"Run, punk! Run!" Mick yelled.

"Jefferson!" Rip called.

"Where is he?" Stein asked. "Chronos's blast forced us to separate- I didn't see where he landed."

"Jax! Jefferson!" Rip yelled.

"Alight, no need to shout." Jax said. "I'm right here."

"There you are." Stein said. "Thank God you're okay. Why didn't you answer when I called you? Did it not occur to you that I'd be worried?"

"Look, I just got a little lost." Jax said, then stumbled and passed out. Mick caught him before he hit the ground.

"We need to get him to the MedBay now." Rip said.

"What happened to him?" Ray asked as the group walked onto the bridge, Jax was pressing a cloth to his wound.

"Chronos." Rip answered.

"Jax here was-" Mick was cut off by Stein.

"Almost got himself killed."

"And we need to get you to the MedBay." Rip said.

"Ah, the MedBay, where a morphine drip awaits me." Mick said.

"Now just try and take it slowly." Rip told Jax.

"Don't bother telling him what to do." Stein said. "He'll just do the opposite."

"Oh, yeah, it would be my fault that I got hurt, because I didn't listen to you and your infinite wisdom. I am sorry, Professor."

"Exactly." Stein said. "It seems this partnership of ours has become untenable."

"Partnership?" Jax asked. "No, this is a dictatorship, one in which you get to call all the shots and I get to take all the shots."

"Do you think I like seeing you hurt?" Stein asked.

"Don't act like you actually care about me, man." Jax said. "I'm just a life support system. I didn't even want to come on this stupid trip. You kidnapped me."

"Oh, this old tune." Stein said.

"Did you ever stop to think that I actually had a life back in 2016?" Jax asked.

"I almost forgot, a promising career as an auto-mechanic." Stein said.

"I had a mom, a widow." Jax said. "What happens to her if something happens to me in 1986? Huh? She's just gonna think that I left her without even saying goodbye. Man, do you have any idea what that does to her?"

"We've all made sacrifices!" Stein yelled. "But can't you see that this mission, stopping Savage, is bigger than any one of us?"

"I am so sick of you using that tone!" Jax said. "When are you gonna learn you are not my father?"

"I'm sorry you lost him at such a tender age, but if your father were here, right now, he'd be saying what I'm saying. Just grow up, Jefferson!" Stein said. "The future of the world is at stake, and if you insist on getting yourself killed, as terrible as that might be for your mother, or me, who, incidentally, would also die, I am more concerned with the billions of people who will die because of your arrogant adolescent ego!"

"Okay." Jax said, and walked off.

"Mr. Snart, Mr. Smythe, can you hear me?" Rip asked. "Do not let Vostok leave with that thermal core!"

"I'll get the core!" Sebastian yelled. He jumped down, using his powers to cushion his fall. He quickly grabbed the white box, and Snart quickly joined him.

"Now might be a good time to send in reinforcements!" Snart said, powering up his cold gun as the two ducked behind the radiation chamber that the core had been in. "Mick and Stein just got pinched by the Russkies."

"You're gonna have to get out of there right now." Rip said.

"Easier said than done." Sebastian said.

"They're hanging us out to dry, Rip." Snart said. "We need back-up."

"I'm afraid our only option is retreat." Rip said.

"What about my partner?" Snart asked.

"Well, until we devise our next move, Mr. Rory will have to fend for himself." Rip said. "Remember the mission. If the Soviets get that thermal core back, your partner will not be the only one who dies."

Sebastian handed Snart the thermal core. "Go. I'll hold them off."

"I'm really starting the family resemblance." Snart said as he took the box, and ran as Sebastian did his best to distract the remaining men.


	6. 5

"Hey." Ray said. "Howdy. How are you doing?"

"What the hell are you doing?" Mick asked. Sebastian, Ray, and Mick were all being led through a Soviet prison.

"Just being friendly." Ray said. "This must be where they keep the VIPs."

"This is prison, jackass. There are no VIPs." Mick said.

"Some of these guys have been here for a while." Ray said. "Hey, maybe this guy knows where Stein is."

"Меньше говорить." one of the guards said, and pushed Ray. "Двигайся быстрее."

"The only thing you should be worrying about, Pretty, is lasting the night." Mick said.

"Stein needs help." Ray said. "He's in real trouble."

"Newsflash, so are we." Mick said. The three were put into a small cell with a bunk bed.

"Think they'll bring us blankets later?" Ray asked. Sebastian sat on the floor because the beds didn't look much more comfortable.

"Huh. It's just like scout camp." Ray said. "Man the food was terrible. There was one time they gave us Salisbury steak-"

"You ever stop talking?" Mick asked as Ray was handed a plate.

"What I wouldn't give for a little Salisbury steak now." he said. Sebastian took his own plate and followed Ray, who approached an old man. "Hey, Ray Palmer."

"Ray." Sebastian warned as Ray held out his hand for the man to shake.

"Put your hand down." Mick said.

"He might know where Vostok is keeping the Professor." Ray said.

"Shut up and eat." Mick said.

"Do you know if there's any other place where they keep prisoners here?" Ray asked. "We're looking for a friend."

"There is a place." the man said. "They send you there, you never come back. You can hear the screams all night."

"This place, where is it?" Ray asked as Sebastian noticed two men approaching them. The man Ray was talking to noticed too, and turned around.

"Who said you could eat?" the taller man asked, and threw the first man's plate to the ground.

"Hey, he's not hurting anybody." Ray said.

"Who is this American with the pretty teeth?" the tall man asked. "Must be a comedian, да?"

"I'm sure we can handle this like adults." Ray said. The tall man punch Ray. He didn't hesitate to punch the man back.

"Щука!" the man said, and began to repeatedly punch Ray.

Hours later Ray was led in by guards.

"Hey, what was that there back in the yard?" he asked.

"Just your typical prison alpha." Mick answered. "He didn't like you threatening his reputation."

"Not that." Ray said. "I mean you both sitting there while I was getting my ass kicked."

"None of my business." Mick answered.

"Je préfère ne pas utiliser mes pouvoirs si je peux. D'ailleurs, à quoi bon deux d'entre nous frappons-nous?" Sebastian answered.

"What did he say?" Mick asked.

"What do you mean?" Ray asked.

"Le traducteur." Sebastian answered. "Je parle français en ce moment."

"Why?" Ray asked. Sebastian nodded towards the door of the cell.

"Donc ils ne peuvent pas me comprendre." he answered. At that moment, a man and two guards appeared at the door.

"These are the ones I want." the man said. The door opened and he walked in. "Remember me?"

Sebastian squinted as a light was turned on. He, Ray, and Mick all had chains holding them up. Wires were connected to their chests.

"So, are you still planning, what did you threaten before? To go all Rocky 4 on my ass?" the man asked. Mick laughed.

"I've changed my mind." he said. The man hit something on the panel, and Sebastian felt electricity running through him, then it stopped after a second. "Ivan Drago lives at the end of the movie. Ha-"

Sebastian once again felt electricity going through him. Only this time it continued longer. Sebastian could feel the energy building up in his hands.

"Isn't he supposed to ask us some questions?" Ray asked.

"They don't care what we got to say." Mick said. "We just part of the show."

"Stein." Ray said. "Professor, we're okay. Don't tell these bastards anything."

The electricity went back on.

"Both of you shut up." Sebastian said once it was gone, only for it to go back on. After it was gone, Sebastian watched the man pick up some kind of hammer.

"When I get out of here-" Mick said.

"That is your mistake, thinking that you'll get out of here." the man said, he was about to hit Mick with it when Ray spoke up.

"Hey. Can I get some water in here?" he asked. "Something to drink, I'm a little thirsty. A sandwich would be nice, a little turkey and mayo. They have mayo in Russia? No. At least in America you get a last meal. This Communism really sucks."

"Shut up." Sebastian said quietly.

"What are you doing, Boy Scout?" Mick asked.

"Yes, Boy Scout, what are you doing?" the man asked.

"Nothing compared to what I did to your mother last night." Ray said. And Sebastian couldn't help it, he laughed.

"You have quite a mouth on you." the man said.

"So does she." Ray said, then yelled as he was hit with the hammer. Then again. And again.

Minutes later they were being led out of the room.

"Of all the dumb things I've seen in my life, you getting that guy to beat on you takes the cake." Mick said.

"You're welcome." Ray said.

"You think you proved something back there?" Mick asked.

"Proved I wasn't scared." Ray said.

"Proved you make a great pinata." Mick said. "He could have beaten you to death."

"There are some things that are more important than survival, like standing up for what you believe in, your principles, your team." Ray said. "There must be something you're willing to die for."

"The perfect score." Mick said.

"Well, only difference between us is how we define score." Ray said.

"You call that a flame?" Snart asked as he appeared by the door. He was dressed in a Soviet uniform.

"Ah. Nice costume." Mick said.

"Got one for you too." Snart said, tossing him a bag. He lightly hit Ray's face, who had fallen asleep. "Wakey, wakey. Time to shrink, or not." He slipped a small green box into Ray's pocket. "Let's go."

"What about him?" Mick asked. "We can't ditch him. He won't survive."

"Two guards walking out of here, not suspicious." Snart said. "Two guards carrying him out, suspicious. Besides, he can help him."

"Wait, what?" Sebastian asked. "You were just planning on leaving us here?"

"Exactly." Snart said.

"He took a beating for me." Mick said.

"Raymond would take a beating for a total stranger." Snart said. "Mick, if our time in the can taught us anything, it's we look after each other. It's you and me, right?"

"I can't believe you're risking your life for these idiots." Snart said. Mick was carrying Ray, and Sebastian was on guard for anybody who might try to kill them. The lights flickered, and small thuds were heard as the doors began to unlock. "Electromagnetic locks."

"We're dressed as guards." Mick said.

"Run." Snart said. They heard gunshots and a yell.

"Everyone back in your cells." It was the same man who had tortured them earlier. Mick pushed him in a cell and shut the door.

"Enjoy your new cellmate." he said.

"That door leads to the loading bay. From there you can get to the loading bay." Snart said.

"Hey, Mick, this is a strange kind of hug." Ray said.

"Where are you going?" Mick asked.

"I got something to do." Snart said.

Sebastian grabbed one of the shots that had been poured out. The nine were gathered inside of Rip's office.

"Courtesy of Yuri the Bear." Mick said.

"How did you even have time to steal this?" Sara asked.

"There's always time to steal." Snart answered.

"Thank you." Ray said.

"And just so you know, I know you're more than just a thief." Ray said to Mick.

"You took a beating for me." Mick said. "We're even. End of story."

"Well, thank you." Ray said.

"More drinking, less feeling." Mick said.

"A toast to the first time we haven't completely ruined the timeline." Stein said.

"Please tell me that's true, Gideon." Rip said.

"The projections of the future are back to normal." Gideon said.

"I'll drink to that." Kendra said.

"To Rip." Snart said. "To things not going according to his plan."

"To the Captain." Stein said, and it was repeated by the others. "Hold on Jefferson. You're not quite 21."

"Yo..." Jax said.

"In 1986, the drinking age in Russia was twelve, so..." Sara said.

"Well, perhaps we can let it slide, just this one time." Stein said.

Sebastian sat down on a chair. They heard an explosion, and Sebastian's chair toppled over as the ship shook.

"What was that?" Sara asked as Sebastian stood up.

"We have been struck with an explosive projectile." Gideon answered.

"Everyone get strapped in now." Rip ordered. Sebastian along with the others hurried onto the bridge to the seats. "We're in the temporal zone, I don't understand. No one should be able to-"

Another explosion sent those still standing to the ground. Sebastian hit the Central Console, and gripped onto it so he didn't fall.

"You were saying?" Snart said. Sebastian sat down and strapped himself in.

"A scan of the vessel suggests that it is the bounty hunter Chronos." Gideon said.

"Oh, man, this guy has impeccable timing!" Jax said.

"He appears to be following us." Gideon said. "Firing countermeasures. Countermeasures effective."

"Have we lost him?" Stein asked.

"Yes, but not his missile." Gideon answered. "Our aft shield is gravely compromised."

"Initiating evasive maneuvers." Rip said, and the ship began to jerk around in attempt to avoid the missile.

"The vodka was a bad choice!" Ray said.

"Impact in three, two, one."

Sebastian gripped onto the metal of the bar, bracing himself for the impact that came moments later.

"Sir, we've just been knocked out of the time stream." Gideon said.

"What does that mean?" Kendra asked.

"It means we're crash landing in place and time." Rip said.

"Gideon, camouflage the ship." Rip instructed. Wherever the were, it was destroyed, and Sebastian would have said abandoned if it weren't for the fires burning. "This doesn't look like the type of place we want to linger out in the open."

"That looks a lot like a Palmer Tech building, but why does it have a Smoak logo on it?" Ray said.

"Wait, this is Star City." Sara said. "I thought you said the timeline was safe."

"Yeah, Star City was intact in 2016." Rip said. "This...this is 2046."

"Don't move!" a man yelled. Rip pulled out his laser gun, and Sebastian looked to see the Arrow.

"Oh, thank God." Sara said, and began walking forward.

"I said don't move." the Arrow said. Sebastian had a feeling that this wasn't Oliver Queen.

"It's me." Sara said. "It's Sara."

"Hey, Oliver, look, I know it's been a long time, but don't you remember that Rip Hunter recruited us to become legends?" Ray said.

"I've never heard of any legends." the Arrow said, and shot an arrow.

Translations:

Меньше говорить - Talk less

Двигайся быстрее - Move faster

Je préfère ne pas utiliser mes pouvoirs si je peux. D'ailleurs, à quoi bon deux d'entre nous frappons-nous? - I prefer to not use my powers if I can. Besides, what good does two of us beat up do?

Le traducteur - the translator

Je parle français en ce moment - I'm speaking French right now

Donc ils ne peuvent pas me comprendre - So they can't understand me


	7. 6

"Gideon, camouflage the ship." Rip instructed. Wherever the were, it was destroyed, and Sebastian would have said abandoned if it weren't for the fires burning. "This doesn't look like the type of place we want to linger out in the open."

"That looks a lot like a Palmer Tech building, but why does it have a Smoak logo on it?" Ray said.

"Wait, this is Star City." Sara said. "I thought you said the timeline was safe."

"Yeah, Star City was intact in 2016." Rip said. "This...this is 2046."

"Don't move!" a man yelled. Rip pulled out his laser gun, and Sebastian looked to see the Arrow.

"Oh, thank God." Sara said, and began walking forward.

"I said don't move." the Arrow said.

"It's me." Sara said. "It's Sara."

"Hey, Oliver, look, I know it's been a long time, but don't you remember that Rip Hunter recruited us to become legends?" Ray said.

"I've never heard of any legends." the Arrow said, and shot an arrow. This was definitely not Oliver Queen. It flew past them and exploded. Mick fired his gun, and the Arrow fired an arrow with a rope attached to it. Sebastian had seen Oliver use a similar one in the past.

"Get back!" Rip said. The group scattered, ducking behind anything they could as more arrows were fired at them. "We need to return to the ship!"

"Alright, Rip, tell us the truth." Sara said.

"You've all seen how the timeline is malleable- in flux until it is set." Rip said. "Well, this future is not set. Remember when I told you it was dangerous for any of you to know too much about your own futures? Well, the events you dread could very well come to be due to your actions to prevent them."

"You know what I think?" Mick said. "I think you think too much."

"Believe me when I tell you that the best thing for yourselves and for this mission is to make the repairs to the Waverider here in 2046 then head back to your own time and make sure that none of this ever comes to be." Rip said.

"I'm coming with you." Sara said as both she and Sebastian entered to Cargo Bay where Rip, Mick, and Snart were.

"So am I." Sebastian said.

"No, Ms. Lance you are not." Rip said. "You're too emotionally connected to the city. We've been over this."

"I'm over you." Sara said. "You got us on a mission to change the timeline for yourself. And you won't even let us look at our futures? Now, I know this city better than anyone else and you're gonna need me out there. So either I'm coming with, or we can find out if the Time Masters are as good at teaching people to fight as the league of assassins."

"I'm going to be useless when it comes to repairing the ship." Sebastian said. "I might as well go with you guys."

Rip turned and opened the door leading outside.

"This is just a potential future." Mick said. "It doesn't matter if we kill anyone here, right?"

"Well, to avoid the risk of a paradox, it's probably best to refrain from killing anyone." Rip said.

"I'm not gonna promise anything." Mick said.

"My sister's apartment used to be over here." Sara said.

"I seem to remember something about your father being a police captain." Snart said.

"Your point?" Sara asked.

"Did one hell of a job." Snart commented.

"My father and everyone else would never have let this happen...unless they were all dead." Sara said. "Palmer Tech's just two blocks up this way. Or at least it used to be."

An explosion went off to their side. "Take cover in there!" Rip said, pointing to a school bus. Sebastian ran into the bus and sat in one of the seats, as did the others.

"It's like World War Three out there." Snart said.

"It's beautiful." Mick said. Explosion and guns were going off outside.

"We need to find another route." Rip said. One of there windows were smashed, and a guy rolled off the roof of the bus. The Arrow guys was a part of the chaos, and was shot. Sara jumped up and ran off of the bus.

"Ms. Lance, don-" Rip cut himself off as Sebastian went after Sara. "Sebastian! Damn it!"

"Don't move!" the Arrow said, drawing back his bow as Sara rounded the corner. Sebastian walked up behind her. "You. You are persistent."

"I saw you get shot point blank." Sara said.

"It's high density Kevlar. Now who the hell are you two?" he asked.

"Who are you?" Sara asked.

"I'm the Green Arrow." he answered.

"Oliver Queen is the Green Arrow." Sara said. The guy put his arrow away.

"No he's not." he said. He must have had a voice modifier, because his voice wasn't as deep. "Oliver Queen is dead."

"How did Oliver die?" Sara asked.

"I don't know. No one does." the guy answered. "No one's seen him since- Well, since the Uprising."

"What the hell is the Uprising?" Sebastian asked.

"It's what people called it when- well, when all this happened." the guy said, gesturing around him. "15 years ago, he brought an army with him."

"Who brought an army?" Sara asked.

"I did." another voice answered. The Arrow quickly loaded his bow and aimed it. Sebastian looked behind him to see a man in a gray mask that only had one eye hole.

"No. It's not possible." Sara said, and pulled out her swords. "How did you get off of Lian Yu?" When she got no answer, she said, "Say something, damn it."

"Ms. Lance, Mr. Smythe, who is this?" Rip asked as he joined the three and drew his laser gun.

"Somebody very dangerous." Sara answered.

"Then now is not the right time for me to say it- but please remind me later to tell you that I told you so."

"How are you still alive, Slade?" Sara asked.

"Slade." the masked man said, and laughed. "That's a name I haven't heard in a long time." He removed his mask. "How do you know my father? He called you Ms. Lance. Any relation to the late Captain Lance? If so, you must have heard stories about my father."

"I knew your father." Sara said. "He was insane. Seems to run in the family."

"I'm going to enjoy killing you. Or we will."

A bunch of men in similar masks to his came from all directions.

"Okay, bad idea." Arrow said. "Come on."

He shot an arrow, and all three grabbed onto him, being pulled up by the arrow.

"Slade had a son?" Sara asked.

"Look, Oliver tried." Arrow said. "He tried to raise an army against Deathstroke, but...everyone just wanted to evacuate. How can you save a city that doesn't want to be saved?"

"A moment." Rip said, and he pulled Sara aside. He spoke to her a moment, then came back. "We're very grateful for your assistance, but we really must be moving along to Smoak Technologies."

"What for?" the Arrow asked. "That place has been cleared out for years. But a lot of Felicity Smoak's projects got relocated."

"Where?" Sara asked.

"Come on."

"You didn't say that Felicity's equipment would be here." Sara said. The four were in the elevator going into Oliver's old base of operations.

"Well, where else would you think it'd be?" Arrow asked. The elevator stopped and the doors slid open, creaking slightly. The room was in great need of some attention. Layers of dust coated almost everything, and smashed pieces of various things lay around. Cobwebs hung from anything not covered in plastic.

"Mr. Queen's base of operations appears to have seen better days." Rip said.

"Yeah, well...the place got attacked after Grant Wilson outed Queen as the Green Arrow." Arrow said. Sara's flashlight landed on the display cases for costumes, where the glass had been shattered.

"Let's just find what we're looking for and get out of here." Sara said.

Sebastian continued to look around, when a voice startled him.

"Whoever's there, get out!"

Sebastian could hear the others draw their weapons.

"I said get out!" the person said. "Whoever you are, get out."

Oliver Queen stepped out, holding a gun. Oliver looked much older, which was to be expected, but he was missing an arm.

"Oliver?" Sara said. Oliver lowered his gun.

"Hello, Sara. Sebastian." he said. "Long time, no see."

"Is that-" Rip asked.

"Oliver Queen." Arrow said. As Oliver walked towards them.

"Everyone thinks you're dead." Sara said.

"They're not wrong." Oliver said. "Put the arrow down, John. You're embarrassing yourself."

"John?" Rip asked as John lowered the arrow.

"John Diggle Jr." Oliver said.

John took off his mask. "My dad is dead because I couldn't save him." he said. "I don't deserve his name. I'm Connor Hawke."

"So you won't take his name, but it's alright to parade around in someone else's outfit?" Oliver asked.

"Well, someone has to, because last time I checked, you were dead." Connor said. "Everyone thought you were dead. I've been trying to hold this city by myself because I thought you were gone."

"What happened to you?" Sara asked. "To Laurel, to my dad...Felicity-"

"They're gone." Oliver said. "All of them."

"What do you mean?" Sara asked. "Ollie-"

"Gone." Oliver said. "What do you want me to say, Sara. 30 years ago, you and Ray hopped on a spaceship, and you never came back."

"We will." Sara said.

"I don't want to say that...things would have ended differently if you and Ray had been here, but..." Oliver said.

"But if we were, it could've made the difference." Sara said. Oliver turned and began to walk away.

"You thought I was dead." Oliver said. "What are you doing here?"

"We were looking for a Neuromorphic Prototype that Felicity Smoak was working on." Rip said. Oliver turned back around.

"Felicity left after everything that happened." Oliver said. "Everything that her company was working on is being kept in a warehouse on Adams and O'Neil. Entry code is 4587."

"Thank you, Mr.-" Rip was cut off by Oliver as he walked away.

"You found your way in, find your way out."

"Thank you for agreeing to accompany us, Mr. Diggle." Rip said.

"It's Connor." he corrected. "It's not like I needed to stick around Oliver Queen for anything."

Sebastian split off from Rip and Sara, searching for the tech they needed. Sebastian had no luck before an explosion went off. He swore under his breath, and headed in the direction of the noise. Connor was already attacking the men. Sara and Rip had gotten there moments before Sebastian. He joined the fight.

"There's too many of them!" Connor yelled. A minute later, Mick and Snart showed up, taking out many of the men with their guns.

"Gentlemen, your timing is exemplary." Rip said.

"Where's Connor?" Sara asked. Rip picked up Connor's bow.

"He's been taken." he said.

"These are Grant Wilson's men." Sara said.

"The guy with the half face and the body armor has a real mad-on for the kid in the hoodie." Mick said.

"Can I have a word?" Rip said to Sara. The two walked off.

"Now that we rescued them, let's have that chat." Mick said, then he and Snart also walked off, leaving Sebastian on his own. He was alerted as he heard a thud, and his head snapped in the direction to see Mick unconscious.

"What the hell?" Sebastian said.

"What happened to him?" Rip asked as he and Sara rejoined them.

"Difference of opinion." Snart said.

"Right." Rip said. He held a small black case in the air. "We need to get this and Mr. Rory back to the Waverider."

"Where's Mr. Rory?" Stein asked as Sebastian, Rip, Sara, and Snart walked onto the bridge.

"Sleeping it off." Snart answered.

"We have the Neuromorphic prototype." Rip said as Sebastian sat in one of the seats. "Any luck with the ship's engines?"

"Yeah, it's all good." Jax said.

"Is there something wrong Ms. Lance?" Stein asked.

"Well, all my friends and family are dead, except for Oliver Queen, who happens to be dead inside and missing his left arm."

"Sara, I have told you-" Rip was cut off by Sara.

"That this is just a potential future and that it's all gonna go back when we return to 2016- if we return." she said. "But what if we don't? We all know Carter's not coming back. It's not like we have the safest line of work."

"I think if Sara wants to stay and help that then we should." Jax said. "I mean, that's what we signed up for: to be heroes."

"I agree with Jefferson." Stein said.

"Yes, of course you both do, because neither of you understand the pitfalls of changing the timeline." Rip said. "Meddling with the future is arguably more dangerous than changing the past because it is still in flux."

"Your wife and son's deaths are in the future." Sara said with a shrug. "You want us to change that."

"Do not play that card with me." Rip said.

"So what?" Sara said. "Are you only willing to risk the timeline if it's your own family?"

"I am not just trying to save my family and I'm not just trying to save one city, but the entire world." Rip said. "I'm not being selfish, Sara."

"That's funny." Sebastian said. "Because why didn't you seem to care about Savage taking over the world before he killed your family. Sure, saving the world is an incentive, but you truly only care about saving your family."

When Rip didn't reply, Sara said, "Go to hell."

"Most likely." Rip said. "If you want to go and save Mr. Hawke, then be my guest. I'll keep the ship here for one hour, then we're leaving. With you on board or without."

Sebastian walked out with the rest of the group into the ongoing battle. Rip had sent them out to help Sara, and within minutes, they'd taken down most of Grant Wilson's men.

"Where's Mr. Queen?" Rip asked.

"Cowards! All!" Mick yelled as the remaining men ran.

"Oliver?" Ray asked as the approached the vigilante.

"It's good to see you again, Ray. Kendra." Oliver said. "Thanks for the assist."

"So, who's that?" Kendra asked, referring to Grant, who Oliver had knocked out.

"His name is Grant Wilson." Oliver answered. "Once upon a time, his father, Slade, tried to ruin my life."

"That's not a nice family." Ray said. Oliver sighed.

"That's good shooting, John." he said. Conner walked up the couple of steps and handed Oliver his bow.

"It's Connor." he said. Oliver took the bow.

"Either way, it's Green Arrow." Oliver said.

"Alright, Gideon." Rip said, walking onto the bridge. "Let's see if these repairs that Martin, Ray, and Jax made are up to scratch."

"As far as I can tell, Ms. Saunders did most of the work, while the two gentlemen competed for-"

"Just get us out of here, please, Gideon." Stein cut her off.

"So, where to next, Captain?" Stein asked after they had all taken their seats.

"Well, the beauty of this mission is that the real question is not where, but when." Rip said. "In which case, I suggest that we next hit Savage when he least expects it."


	8. 7

Mick yelled and threw a knife into the metal of a container. Sebastian, Sara, and Snart were sitting on the ground by the stairs of the cargo bay, playing a card game. Sebastian didn't even bother to look at Mick. None of them did.

"I'm done!" Mick said.

"Don't mind him." Snart said. "He's still sore about having to leave 2046."

"I'm sore because I was recruited for my unique ability to light things on fire." Mick said. "And now, I'm locked in the one place where I can't light things on fire: a spaceship."

Mick stepped over Sara and Snart's legs. "Where do you think you're going?" Snart asked as Mick stomped up the stairs.

"Why?" Mick asked, turning to look at him. "You gonna clock me in the head if I don't listen again?"

Neither said anything for a few seconds, then Mick walked away.

"Everything okay with you two?" Sara asked.

"Yeah, peachy." Snart answered.

"This is Captain Eve Baxter of the time ship Acheron, requesting critical rescue."

"And we care about this chick, why?" Mick asked.

"We don't." Rip said. "But the Acheron's computer will contain the current intel on Savage's whereabouts. Gideon, set a course for the Acheron's position in deep space."

"Yes, Captain."

"Deep space?" Stein asked. "I had no idea we had the ability to explore the unknown realms of the galaxy. Astonishing."

"No. What's astonishing is the fact that we're acting as roadside assistance for the people who's chasing us."

"Doesn't it seem suspicious, this distress call just happened to reach us?" Snart asked.

"How do we know it's not a trap?" Kendra asked.

"We don't, but what we do know is that Savage's trail has run cold." Rip said. "And unless Gideon can upload the data, from the Acheron's computer-"

"I'm in." Mick said.

"You are?" Snart asked.

"The sooner we end Savage, the sooner I get back to where I belong." Mick said.

"Prison?" Stein said.

"Any prison on Earth's better than this one, Professor." Mick said.

"Gideon." Rip said.

"Yes, sir." she responded.

"Engines to full throttle." Rip said as they all took their seats.

"Of course, Captain." Gideon said.

"Mr. Stein, Mr. Jackson, would you care to join the boarding party?" Rip asked.

"A chance for an extra-vehicular docking maneuver?" Stein said. "What could be more exciting?"

"I could think of a few things." Jax commented.

"Let's get this thing started." Mick said, and started to walk out before Snart stopped him.

"Dr. Palmer, I leave the ship in your hands while we're gone." Rip said. Then he muttered to Kendra. "And I leave him in yours."

Sebastian snorted, having had been the only other person to hear it.

"Captain's log. Stardate 837.9. We're awaiting word from the away team aboard the Acheron." Ray said as he sat in Rip's seat.

"I hate to break it to you, but you're no Captain Kirk." Kendra said. "You're Picard.

"But Picard was cautious, pontificating, sort of sexless." Ray said.

"Well, tell that to Vash." Kendra said. "And for the record, Picard was way hotter than Kirk."

Sebastian groaned and massaged his temples. "You guys are giving me a headache." he grumbled.

"Mick had it wrong." Snart said. "This ship isn't a prison, it's a torture chamber."

"Well, I don't think Mick's problem is with the ship." Sara said.

"You think it's with me." Snart said.

"You did knock him out and force him to leave 2046 Star City, which is like Disneyland for felons." Sara said.

"He'll get over it." Snart said. "Mick runs hot. Always has. Once he calms down, everything will be back to normal."

"Yeah, I bet that one sounded more convincing in your head." Sara said. A beeping came from the Central Console.

"I'd like to speak to Acting Captain Raymond Palmer." a man said.

"Ooh, Acting Captain, I like the sound of that." Ray said as he walked over. Sebastian stood up and stepped forward so he was at the console. "I'm Captain Palmer. Who are you?"

"I'm the man holding your crew hostage." the man said.

"Captain Palmer, I've informed Mr. Valor of the fiery retribution you'll rain down upon him if we are not released immediately." Rip said. They heard Rip grunting on the other end.

"I'm going to make this real simple. You surrender your ship, and I'll drop you off unharmed at a place and time of your choosing." the man said. "You've got ten seconds to decide."

"Or else what?" Ray asked. "If you want the Waverider for yourself, there's no way you'll fire on us."

"Perhaps. But right now, I've got my sights set on your captain's head."

"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Give me time to negotiate." Ray said.

"Ten...nine..."

"Maybe he's bluffing."

"Eight..."

"Doesn't feel like it." Snart said.

"Seven..."

"You don't know Palmer, and how he survived the Imperiex Onslaught. "

An alarm began to go off in the ship.

"Uh, Gideon?" Kendra asked.

"Captain Hunter programmed me to execute certain protocols in response to specific keywords." Gideon said.

"What does that mean in English?" Snart asked.

"Strap yourselves in." Gideon said. "We are on the move and preparing to fire."

"What are you doing, Gideon?" Snart asked.

"Just a warning shot to let them know we mean business." Gideon said.

"My partner's on that ship." Snart said.

The ship shook as it took a hit. "There's a hull breach in the aft portion of the ship, and the pirates have taken out the telemetry controls." Gideon said.

"Gideon, switch to manual." Ray said, and stood up.

"What are you doing?" Kendra asked, doing the same. Ray said in Rip's seat.

"If this is anything like a video game, flying a spaceship." he said. Sara and Snart stood up.

"Where are you guys going?" Kendra asked.

"To deal with the hole in the ship." Sara answered

"Make sure Picard here doesn't get us all killed." Snart said.

"Actually, I'm more like Sulu right now!" Ray yelled after him. "Or Han Solo."

"We are all going to die." Sebastian muttered, and stood up. Minutes later, a message came from the Acheron.

"A captain never surrenders his ship. Besides, you'll never catch Dr. Palmer. He once out ran Kanjar Ro himself." Rip said.

"Who's Kanjar Ro?" Ray asked.

"Engaging protocol now, Captain." Gideon said.

"Awesome." Ray said.

"I wasn't talking to you." Gideon said. Sebastian laughed.

Snart and Sara had failed to seal the breach, and were now stuck in the room that was slowly being drained of air. So Ray was out in space in his ATOM suit, attempting to seal it from outside. Sebastian was waiting for the door to open, because not only were they in low oxygen, but it was also freezing.

It wasn't too long before the door opened. Sebastian immediately felt the cold air hit him.

"Geez, that's cold." he said.

"Thanks for the observation." Snart said. Sebastian walked towards the Cargo Bay where Ray and Kendra were, Snart and Sara not far behind.

"You kids need a moment?" Snart said.

'You okay?" Sara asked.

"Mr. Palmer nearly died." Gideon said.

"Welcome to the club." Snart said. "Gideon, what's happening on the Acheron?"

"Funny you should ask." Gideon said. "I just received a message from Mr. Rory. It seems he escaped capture, and is now returning to the Waverider."

"Told you." Snart said. "Those pirates picked the wrong guy to mess with."

"Since when does Rory even know how to fly the jump ship?" Ray asked.

"How did he even find us?" Kendra asked.

"Actually, I did the flying." Gideon said. "He received quite a beating at the hands of the pirates." A clunking noise alerted the five. "That's him now."

They stopped and watched Mick walk toward them.

"You okay, Mick?" Snart asked. Mick looked behind him.

"Boys!" he said. "Ship's all yours."

"Oh, shit." Sebastian said as a bunch of men came out from behind Mick, all armed with guns.

"You son of a bitch." Ray said.

"What are you doing, Mick?" Snart asked.

"I'm getting us home. Are you in?" Mick asked. Snart stepped forward, and loaded his gun.

"Yeah." he said, and turned to look at the others. "Time to choose a side, I guess." He looked back at Mick and the pirates. "Chosen." He fired his gun at the pirates.

"Bastard!" Mick yelled, and fired his gun. The five ran for it.

"Mr. Rory is headed to the engine room to access the time drive." Gideon said.

"I'll handle it." Snart said. He stepped out, and was almost immediately shot with a laser. Sara went after Mick while the others fought the time pirates. Soon enough, the last one was knocked out.

"Now what?" Sebastian breathed.

"Waverider, this is Captain Hunter. We've regained control of the Acheron." Rip said. "What's your status?"

"Okay. I'll say it. Why don't we just drop him back off in 2016?" Ray said. They had to decide what to do with Mick.

"Because my sister lives in 2016." Snart said. "And your sister, and your wife, and your brother." Snart looked at Sebastian. "But I don't think we really need to worry about that last one."

"So what exactly are we talking about here?" Jax asked. "Leaving Rory in the brig until we take down Savage?"

"No, no, no, no. The brig is unsuitable for long term incarceration." Rip said.

"Leaving him free run of the ship is not an option." Sara said.

"I'll handle it." Snart said.

"By handling it, you mean murder?" Stein asked.

"I said I'll handle it." Snart said.


	9. 8

"I'm not the only one whose vision is blurry in their left eye, am I?" Stein asked.

"Seeing three of everything, that's normal, right?" Jax asked.

"Yes, as I mentioned before, the effect of time travel on the human body increases with the length of each jaunt." Rip said.

"So, where are we?" Kendra asked.

"Harmony Falls, Oregon." Rip said. "According to Captain Baxter's intel, Savage makes an appearance in this quaint little hamlet."

"What the hell is Savage doing in Pleasantville?" Jax asked.

"Murder, apparently." Rip said. "Several denizens of Harmony Falls have been brutally slain, and others have gone missing."

"Huh. Kind of like Rory." Jax said, looking at Snart.

"Reports are vague, but it seems like the killer is an expert with knives." Rip said.

"That sounds like Savage's MO." Sara said.

"Yeah, but serial killing isn't." Ray said. "Sounds pretty small time for a guy who's had coffee with Hitler."

"Yeah, well, clearly we have to assume that Savage has a larger, more nefarious plan." Rip said. "But, since we've jumped back in time, Savage isn't expecting us here."

"Savage is pretty good at hiding, even in a small town, so how do you plan to find him?" Kendra asked.

"By investigating these murders." Rip answered. "Now there has to be a common link between the victims, starting with the first. A piano teacher was found slain in her home, which is now on the market. Dr. Matt Miller was found murdered on the grounds of the asylum where he worked. The sanitarium is in need of a replacement. Meanwhile, Jefferson is the perfect age to discern the facts behind the disappearance of three teenagers who went missing a week before these murders began. Sebastian will be joining him."

"So Raymond and Kendra are shacking up, Sara's Nurse Ratched, and Jax and Sebastian are the new kids in town." Snart said. "So where does that leave me?"

"Schwinn Hornets." Stein said. "I had the very same one when I was their age. Seeing white picket fences and perfect family houses, it's enough to make one nostalgic."

"Or nauseated." Sara said.

"Oh, come on, Ms. Lance." Stein said. "Even someone as jaded as yourself can't deny how idyllic this time was."

"Yeah." Jax said as two teenagers in Letterman jackets passed by. "If you're white."

"And a man." Sara said.

"And straight." Sebastian added.

"And-"

"Okay, okay. I get the point." Stein said.

"Dude, even if this town wasn't full of small-minded idiots, it'd still be creepy as hell." Jax said. "I used to watch all these old horror movies with my mom, and they all started off in places like this. See, first it's all perfect, and then, boom, some alien monster beast thing starts killing kids on Lover's Lane."

"Ooh." Sara said teasingly.

"I'm telling you, man." Jax said.

Stein stood up. Jax looked over at a girl sitting at the counter.

"What is it?" Stein asked.

"An unhappy cheerleader." Sara said. "Now that is scary."

"That girl was from the newspaper articles Rip showed us." Jax said. "She knows the guys that went missing."

"Perhaps she can illuminate us as to their whereabouts." Stein suggested.

"Dude, can you not just say, Hey, why don't one of you go talk to her and find out what she knows?" Jax asked. "Like a normal person?"

"Hey, Jax, why don't you just go do that?" Stein said.

"Why doesn't Sebastian go?" Jax asked. "He-"

"I have never flirted with a girl in my life." Sebastian said. "You go."

"One of you do it." Sara said.

"We mustn't dawdle." Stein said. "I believe our lunch hour is nearly at an end. Come along, Nurse."

"Just so you know, Ra's al Ghul taught me how to kill someone slowly, over the course of days." Sara said as she stood up.

"Go. I can tell you really want to." Sebastian said. Jax grinned and stood up. Sebastian dipped some fries into his milkshake, watching Jax approach the girl. It went well until two kids approached them. One of the kids said something, and Jax replied calmly. One of the kids finished his drink and set it on the counter between Jax and the girl. Jax stood up, and Sebastian did too.

"What?" Jax asked. "You want to take a swing at me?"

Sebastian saw the man behind the counter shake his head. "Hey, let's go." the first kid said. "This isn't over."

"Savage doesn't think I recognize him, which means he won't try to kill me." Kendra said. "He can't steal my powers before I've found them."

"Don't forget, we also have to figure out why he's killing the townsfolk." Ray said.

"Are you really eating that?" Kendra asked, referring to the casserole in front of him.

"Say what you want about Savage. He makes one hell of a casserole." Ray said.

"I suppose he's had a while to get it right." Sebastian said.

"Yes, well, Mr. Snart and I have been analyzing these forensics files." Rip said.

"Which reveal nothing except Savage is really good at making people disappear." Snart said.

"Hmm, something you both have in common." Jax said. "Are we just gonna pretend like none of this happened? That Mick Rory wasn't a part of our team? If you can just ice your best friend like that, I hate to think what you could do to us."

"Right now, we need to stay focused on the mission." Kendra said.

"Look, Savage is going to be busy with this little cocktail party." Rip said. "Whilst you two keep an eye on him, Sara and Martin have the opportunity to find out what he's doing in the secret wing of that asylum."

"Me?" Kendra asked.

"Well, you and Carter." Stein corrected. "4,000 years ago. The meteorite which gave you your powers appears to be of the same variety that mutated Tommy Fuller."

"And I'm guessing it's not curable?" Snart said.

"Well, I suppose, if the talons which lacerated her left some mutagenic residue, I could-"

"Yes or no?" Snart asked.

"Perhaps." Stein answered.

"Why don't you get to work on that, Martin?" Rip said. Stein nodded, and left.

"Okay, so if Savage isn't the one doing the killing, what is he doing in town?" Sara asked.

"Doesn't matter." Ray said, reaching into his pocket. He pulled out a gold dagger.

"We can take him down." Kendra said.

"The Amon Dagger." Rip said, approaching the table. "Where did you-"

"Savage's house." Ray answered as Rip picked up the dagger to look at it.

"Alright, we need to proceed on two fronts: locate Jefferson and make an all-out assault on Savage." Rip said.

"A full-on attack only plays to Savage's strengths." Sara said. "If we want to get to him..."

"We have to target his weaknesses." Rip finished. "Sadly, very few come to mind."

"I can think of one." Kendra said. "Me. He wants me and always has. So, if I can get close enough to him, then-"

"Then he'll kill you." Ray said.

"Thank you for the vote of confidence, but I don't need your protection." Kendra said.

"There's no reason to go alone." Ray said. "We're part of a team for a reason."

"Yes, and the team seems comfortable with me doing this, so that makes it about you and me." Kendra said.

"Nurse? Nurse, I keep hearing voices in my head." Ray said. "My wife with another man, and it's driving me crazy."

"Well, maybe you should learn to trust you wife a little bit more." Sara said. Rip looked at her. "Orderly? Show our new patient to his room. And don't hesitate to give him a sedative if he doesn't calm down."

"Right away, Nurse." Rip said, and led Ray down a hallway. Sara looked at a woman across the room. The woman looked up, meeting Sara's eyes, and she looked down. Sebastian nudged Sara with his elbow teasingly. She glared at him, then monsters came out of the hallway.

"Oh, my God. Jax was right." Sebastian said.

"What are they?" Sara asked, as the creatures began attacking people. "Never mind, we'll have to find out later."

Sara jumped over the counter, and whacked a monster with her bo-staff.

"I just want to get out of Mayberry." Jax said.

"Agreed." Snart said. "We're still waiting on Sara and the two lovebirds to get back. Seems they've taken quite a shine to 1958."

A loud thud sounded, and the whole ship shook, and Sebastian grabbed onto the Central Console for balance.

"What on earth?" Stein said.

"The hell was that?" Sebastian asked.

"Gideon?" Rip asked. Gideon pulled up video feed that showed Chronos.

"Not this guy again." Snart said.

"Captain, Chronos has breached the starboard hatch." Gideon said.

"How is that possible?" Stein asked.

"Clearly he's received some new toys from his Time Master friend since our last encounter." Rip said, then began yelling. "Gideon! Seal the bulkheads from here-"

Chronos walked in and blasted Rip in the chest, cutting off his words. Rip collapsed on the ground, then Chronos began shooting at the other four on the bridge. Sebastian ducked behind a chair as Chronos shot at him. The blast hit the wall causing a shower of sparks.

"Fall back!" Rip yelled. "Get to the Jumpship!"


	10. 9

"Not this guy again." Snart said as he, Rip, Sebastian, Jax, and Stein stood around the central console.

"Captain, Chronos has breached the starboard hatch." Gideon said.

"How is that possible?" Stein asked.

"Clearly he's received some new toys from his Time Master friend since our last encounter." Rip said, then began yelling. "Gideon! Seal the bulkheads from here-"

Chronos walked in and blasted Rip in the chest, cutting off his words. Rip collapsed on the ground, then Chronos began shooting at the other four on the bridge. Sebastian ducked behind a chair as Chronos shot at him. The blast hit the wall causing a shower of sparks.

"Fall back!" Rip yelled. "Get to the Jumpship!"

Sebastian ran, avoiding the blasts, following the others down the hallway.

"You sure it was a good idea to leave the Terminator on the bridge?" Snart asked.

"Gideon has lockdown protocols which-" Rip said before Gideon cut him off.

"Have been overridden, Captain." she said. "Chronos is utilizing superior Time Master technology. I cannot countermand his orders."

The ship jerked slightly, and Sebastian stumbled into the wall.

"He's time jumping the ship." Rip said.

"The ladies will be left in 1958." Snart said.

"What about Ray?" Jax asked.

"Like I said." Snart answered.

"Let's go! We have to stop him!" Rip yelled as he stumbled down the hallway as quickly as he could. The four weren't far behind him. "Gideon, open the doors on my mark. Get to the Jumpship and escape."

"We are not abandoning you!" Stein said.

"No, you are obeying a direct order from your captain." Rip replied. "Now, Gideon."

As the door opened, Jax and Stein disappeared down the hall, and the other three went through the door, ready to fight. Rip yelled as he ran in, shooting his gun at Chronos. Sebastian sent a blast at Chronos and ducked behind a chair. Every once in a while, he looked around it to blast Chronos. Rip and Snart were doing the same. But after a few times, Chronos was ready, and shot as soon at Sebastian went for his own shot.

Sebastian saw a bright flash of blue, and then nothing as he roughly hit the floor.

"Sebastian, come on, man."

Sebastian groaned as a headache hit him like a truck. "What happened?" he asked.

"Chronos got away." Jax said and helped Sebastian to his feet. "You good, man?"

"Yeah, I think so." Sebastian muttered.

"Strap yourselves in." Rip instructed, and ducked under the central console.

"What's going on?" Jax asked as he and Sebastian each took a seat.

"Chronos has sabotaged the navigation system." Rip answered as Sebastian pulled the bar down. "Unless we can find a way to alter the course, we'll be trapped in the temporal zone for all time."

"Gideon-" Stein was cut off immediately by Rip.

"Cannot override Chronos's command." he said. The ship's mechanical whirring disappeared.

"What did you do?" Stein asked.

"Rebooted Gideon." Rip answered. "Until she's fully operational, we're free falling through time."

"Shiby washo, sara so so." Stein said as Sebastian pushed the metal bar up with a groan. He shut his eyes and attempted to suppress the nausea caused by the time jump, but moments later he threw up.

"You are suffering from linguistic disorientation." Rip said. "It's a side affect of such a severe time jump."

"I can't hear anything." Jax said loudly.

"It'll pass." Rip said.

"What?" Jax asked.

"Gideon, status update." Rip demanded.

"I am detecting a time beacon signaling the Waverider." Gideon said. "But then again, this is 1960."

"1960?" Rip asked for clarification.

"The temporal navigation system was compromised and did its best to return us as close as possible to 1958." Gideon said.

"Salypso changa." Stein said.

"Gideon, search the timeline for any reference of a Sara Lance, or a blonde vigilante, circa 1960." Rip commanded. They had no difficulties getting Ray and Kendra back, but the two had no clues to where Sara was.

"Right away. Captain." Gideon said.

"Why did Chronos take Snart?" Kendra asked. "Couldn't he have taken you all in?"

"You sound dubious." Rip said. Kendra nodded and crossed her arms.

"If Chronos was gonna settle for taking one person, you'd think it would be you." she said. "He took Snart for a reason."

"Ray and I were talking, and he gave me an idea." Kendra said as she and Ray walked onto the bridge. "What if Sara rejoined the League of Assassins?"

"There is one source that we could check to test your theory." Rip said. "Gideon, bring up the Shadow Record."

"Shadow Record?" Jax asked. Sebastian stood up from his seat and walked up to the Central Console. On the screen was a blank piece of old looking paper.

"The list of every member of the League of Assassins since the invention of writing in 3200 B.C." Gideon informed.

"Fascinating." Stein said. "Except these sheets of papyrus are entirely blank."

"No, no, no." Rip responded. "The League uses invisible ink. I did my graduate thesis at the Academy on their history. Gideon."

Sebastian watched as a long list of names and years appeared on the screen as Gideon scanned the sheets.

"Sara said that Ra's al Ghul had lived nearly a century before she met him." Kendra said.

"Thanks to the Lazarus pit." Ray said. "It's basically a life extending Jacuzzi, located in a place that's the opposite of life extending."

"You should count yourself lucky, Dr. Palmer." Rip said. "Only a handful of outsiders have been inside the League's fortress and lived to tell the tale."

"You are correct, Captain." Gideon said. "There is a mention of a Ta-er al-Sahfer."

"That's, uh, Sara's League of Assassins name." Rip said. "According to the Shadow record, she joined the League in 1958."

"Incredible." Stein said. "Sara became a member of the secret organization that trained her to be an assassin 50 years prior to when she initially joined."

"Sara needs our help." Rip said. "By all accounts, Ra's al Ghul is a very controlling, very homicidal fanatic. Gideon, chart a course for Nanda Parbat."

The team walked down a narrow pathway that had large walls of rock on either side of it.

"Perhaps Jefferson and I should-" Stein was cut off by Rip.

"Extricating Sara from the likes of the League requires stealth." he said. "So no Firestorm for the two of you. No powers for you either," Rip looked at Sebastian as he said that, then looked at Ray. "And you're out of practice, so no ATOM unless absolutely necessary."

"Look out!" Jax said as a figure in black dropped down behind Ray, swinging a sword at him. Jax punched the person hard enough to knock them out.

"Thanks." Ray said.

"Well done, Jefferson." Stein said.

"You guard the exit while I find Sara." Rip said as he opened the door. "We will be in and out of here faster than you can say Ra's al Ghul. Shh."

Before any protests could be made, Rip slipped inside, shutting the door behind him. After a while passed, and Rip wasn't back, the team decided to go in after him.

"Something's wrong." Stein said. "They should have been back by now."

"Well, I think this counts as absolutely necessary." Ray said. "I've got my exo-suit shrunk down, and I can miniaturize and do some tiny sneaking."

"It's been two years since you've used that suit." Kendra said. "And that's after you scavenged it for parts for your time beacon. You don't even know if it works."

"Let him do what he wants." Sebastian said. "If he dies, it's his own fault."

"Thanks, Sebastian." Ray said. "Wait..."

"Can we just keep it down, please?" Stein asked, but it was a bit late as they were suddenly surrounded by assassins, each of them aiming loaded bows at them.

"Too late." Sebastian said. A few of them stepped aside, and three figures walked towards the five, one of the three being Sara, another was Rip.

"Sara?" Kendra asked.

"Found her." Rip said.

"اابقاء هذين منفصلين." Sara said, and two of the assassins moved towards Jax and Stein. Sara walked forward, and reached into Ray's pocket. She pulled out a white box, then stepped back.

"Hey." Ray said.

"لنذهب." Sara said, walking away. The assassins began to follow her, forcing the group to move with them. They were brought into a room, and were being chained to the wall. Sebastian took the liberty to kick the assassin who was chaining him to the wall, only to have the person pull out a knife and put it to his neck. "كافية." The assassin reluctantly put the knife away, and left the room along with the rest.

"Sara, what the hell?" Jax asked.

"You shouldn't have come here." Sara said.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that." Ray said.

"We came here to rescue you." Kendra said.

"I don't need to be rescued." Sara said. "I've found peace here."

"Peace with the League of Assassins?" Rip asked. "That must be the first time that sentence has ever been uttered."

"Oh, I can't believe I back here." Ray said.

"If this is retribution of some kind for stranding you in 1958-" Stein was cut off by Sara.

"It is the will of Ra's al Ghul." she said. "Trespassers are to be executed."

Sara walked out, and the cell door was shut behind her.

"Great." Sebastian muttered sarcastically.

"We just need a little more time to get through to her." Rip said.

"Do Time Masters have a different understanding of the word executed?" Stein asked.

"No, no, no." Rip said. "It's called Time Drift. When one spends too long in an alien timeline, one looses ties with one's former self, former identity."

"Oh, my God." Kendra said.

"What?" Jax asked.

"I didn't understand it before, but my powers, they went dormant." Kendra answered.

"What are you talking about?" Ray asked.

"My wings." Kendra said. "You must have been able to notice that I haven't been able to hawk out in almost two years."

"I just thought you didn't want to." Ray said. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because it was so hard for you to give up hope that the team would return." Kendra said. "When you finally did, you started to be happy again, and I couldn't bear telling you that I wasn't."

"That ain't good." Jax said.

"I had no idea." Ray said.

"Look, Ray, I loved being with you. I wasn't just losing my powers." Kendra said. "I was losing memories of my past lives. I was starting to lose myself."

"I'm sorry, I-" Ray said. "But look, you didn't have to protect me. I could have handled the truth."

"It couldn't have been easy for Raymond, either, having to give up being the ATOM." Stein said.

"I'm sorry, can we have a private moment?" Kendra asked.

"Is now really the time?" Sebastian asked.

"I think we all wish you would've had this moment in private." Jax said, but both were ignored.

"Don't you think that we were meant for something greater than to be stuck in 1960, eating fondue with the neighbors?" Kendra asked.

"Yeah, we were meant to be tortured and executed Nanda, I can't believe I'm back here, Parbat." Ray said.

"If we die, at least it would be in pursuit of a greater purpose." Kendra said.

"That's it." Rip said.

"What's it?" Stein asked.

"Ra's al Ghul's purpose in life is to see that the League continues with all of its ancient traditions intact." Rip said.

"Including murdering intruders?" Stein asked.

"I will appeal to Ra's al Ghul's respect for the League's traditions, invoking one of them right now." Rip said.

"Wait, what kind of traditions, man?" Jax asked.

"Guards! Guards!" Rip yelled.

"Mr. Hunter." Ra's al Ghul said.

"Captain, as a point of fact." Rip said.

"Right." Ra's al Ghul said. "Well, I do hope your request for an audience is not an attempt to justify your trespass here."

"Most certainly not." Rip said. "But it would not remiss of me if I didn't use this opportunity to reiterate that Sara is very important to me, to all of us."

"And as is she to me." Ra's al Ghul said. "And as you all can see, she has chosen to remain here."

"Yes, well, if that is her wish, we will indeed honor it." Rip said.

"Well, thank you." Ra's al Ghul said. "But your deaths will make that concession irrelevant."

"Well, according to my understanding of League Law, the whole death thing can be avoided. should we prevail at trial." Rip said.

"Yeah, I don't think these guys are the People's Court type." Jax said.

"I demand a trial by combat." Rip said.

"And how is a man such as you so well versed on our traditions?" Ra's al Ghul asked.

"Do we have an accord?" Rip asked instead of answering.

Ra's al Ghul looked at Sara and said, "May victory be yours."

Sara nodded. "I was under the impression that I would be fighting you." Rip said.

"Then it would seem your understanding of our laws requires some refinement." Ra's al Ghul said. "You see, I may choose any champion I wish, as may you."

"I nominate Ms. Saunders." Rip said.

"What? No." Ray said. "You heard her, she can't even hawk-"

"I accept." Kendra said.

"You have to put a stop to this." Ray said.

"Sara taught Kendra to control her warrior side." Rip said. "I believe that Kendra can remind Sara of her humanity."

"Before or after Sara kills her?" Ray asked. Soon the fight began.

"Sara, Ta-er al Sahfer." Kendra said. "Whatever your name is now. I know you don't want to kill me."

Sara swing her sword at Kendra, who blocked it, and they repeated that a couple of times before Sara managed to hit Kendra. "Want is irrelevant." she said. "I serve Ra's al Ghul."

They continued to clash their swords together, until halfway through Kendra knocked Sara off of her feet.

"Remember that move?" Kendra asked as Sara stood up. "You taught it to me."

"Your teacher was excellent." Sara said, and the swords were back to hitting each other, until halfway through the fight, Kendra sprouted her wings. She flew up, taking Sara with her and pinning her to the wall. Sara ran her sword through one of Kendra's wings, and both fell to the floor, Kendra's wings disappearing once more. Sara landed on her feet and walked over to Kendra.

"Sara." Kendra said. "You're not a murderer or an assassin."

"انهيها." Ra's al Ghul said.

"No!" Ray yelled.

"You're the White Canary." Kendra said. After a few moments, Sara dropped her sword. And shortly after that, they heard blasts in the distance. "I know that sound."

"Chronos." Rip said, and Chronos walked in.

"حررهم." Sara said. "هذه هي الطريقة الوحيدة."

Chronos was easily taking the assassins out one by one.

"You can't face him, you can't defeat him." Rip said. "سوف يسقط الدوري وينتهي عهدك إذا حاولت إلحاق الهزيمة بمفرده."

Ra's al Ghul pulled out his sword. "You brought him here, it's only right you kill him." he said, and broke the chains on each team member's hands. Jax and Stein joined together to become Firestorm.

"It's a long story, pal." Jax said to Ra's al Ghul.

"Ray!" Sara yelled, and tossed him the box she took before. Ray caught it, and went to change into the suit. Sebastian blasted Chronos with his powers, while Kendra sprouted her wings. Ray flew in, and punched Chronos three times. Chronos flew across the room, and slowly began to get back up, but the team surrounded him.

"You son of a bitch." Jax said.

"Don't do it." Snart said from the doorway. "Don't kill him."

"Snart?" Jax asked.

"Sorry?" Rip said. "Don't kill Chronos?"

"He's not Chronos." Snart said. "Show them."

When Chronos didn't move, Snart nodded at Jax who happily pulled the helmet off of Chronos's head, revealing him to be Mick.

"My God." Rip said.

"There is no God." Mick said, then he began to quickly move towards his gun on the floor, but Sara kicked him in the face and knocked him out.

"You think this is all over?" Mick asked once he had been locked up in the Waverider. "I will kill every single one of you. I will watch you all burn. You-" He looked at Snart. "You should have killed me when you had the chan-"

Rip hit a button, and Mick was cut off. Then Rip turned to look at Snart. "You owe us an explanation." he said.

"Yes, it's quite remarkable Mr. Rory is working for the Time Masters considering you killed him." Stein said.

"If you think back, I never actually said I killed him." Snart said.

"No, you just let us think that you did." Jax said.

"I didn't have to try too hard, did I?" Snart asked. "Well, maybe I should have. Then at least he wouldn't have wound up a chew toy for the Time Masters."

"But if you didn't, then we wouldn't have this opportunity." Rip said.

"An opportunity? To do what?" Ray asked.

"To reform Mr. Rory." Rip answered.

"He killed Aldus." Kendra said.

"Under the influence of the Time Masters." Rip said.

"Chronos killed Aldus. Mr. Rory was fighting on our side that day." Stein said.

"I know what it's like to be trained by an organization for one purpose, to kill, and the kind of loyalty that it can inspire." Sara said. "I need to know that we can reach Rory. For my own sake."

"The Time Masters took one of our own and turned him against us." Stein said. "I say we undo their handiwork."

"Rory saved my life, and Sebastian's, back in the Gulag." Ray said. "He's more than just a criminal and an arsonist."

"He's a part of our team." Jax said.

"He's a lost cause." Snart said.

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure about that." Rip said. "You will see that miracles abound on this old timeship.

"I believe we're ready to leave 1960." Rip said.

"And go where?" Sara said, then corrected herself. "I mean, when?"

"2147." Rip answered. "Mere decades before Vandal Savage conquered the world."

"I thought you had no idea where he was." Snart said.

"You said Savage had been lost to history." Stein said.

"Not world changing history." Rip said. "Records of the period are scarce, but I've always known that Vandal Savage can be located in 2147."

"So why haven't you told us this sooner?" Jax asked.

"Because that period of history is fraught with more peril than I was willing to risk." Rip said.

"And what changed?" Sebastian asked.

"We have no choice." Rip answered. "We have to stop Vandal Savage in 2147, or die trying."

"Well, I've died before." Kendra said.

"So have I." Sara said.

"I can't say that I have." Sebastian said, leaning on the back of one of the chairs. "But I'm in."

"Gideon, plot a course for Kasnia Conglomerate, the year 2147." Rip said.

Translations:

اابقاء هذين منفصلين - Keep those two separated

لنذهب - Let's Go

كافية - Enough

انهيها - Finish her

حررهم - Free them

هذه هي الطريقة الوحيدة - It is the only way

سوف يسقط الدوري وينتهي عهدك إذا حاولت إلحاق الهزيمة بمفرده - The League will fall and your reign will end if you try to defeat him alone


	11. 10

"The future, it's..." Stein trailed off.

"Fascinating." Sara said.

"Astonishing." Jax said. "Well, it was a 50-50 which one he was gonna choose."

"Actually, I was gonna say remarkable." Stein said.

"Isn't it?" Rip asked. "2147 was considered the world's zenith. All of these people have a good five years to look forward to."

"Before what?" Snart asked.

"Before a ruthless dictator named Per Degaton rises to power, releases the Armageddon Virus, and most of them end up dead." Rip answered.

"Well that's depressing." Sara stated. Three robots flew near us.

"Whoa." Jax said.

"Is that my suit?" Ray asked. "That's my suit."

The group watched as the robots knocked out a robber.

"That is how Per Degaton's father Tor maintains order in Kasnia." Rip said.

"Doesn't look like progress to me." Snart commented.

"Speaking of progress, we need to get a better lay of the land." Rip said.

"And I need to get a better look at how they made my suit autonomous." Ray said.

"Well, why don't you take Martin and Jax with you?" Rip suggested. "Ms. Lance, Mr. Snart, Mr. Smythe and I will work on locating Savage."

"Tor Degaton holds daily meetings with his board of directors." Rip said.

"And it's open to the public?" Sara asked.

"Of course not." Rip replied. "Just Kasnia's shareholders."

"Then how do we get in?" Sebastian asked. "We aren't shareholders."

"I'm more of a hard asset man, myself." Snart said. Rip turned and held up a small black contact lens case, and opened it. He put in the contact lens, then turned around to the security man, who held up a device that scanned Rip's eye.

"You're clear to attend." the man said. "They'll have to wait outside."

"Oh, no, this is my accountant, my personal assistant, and my bodyguard." Rip lied.

"Stockholders only." the man said. Rip turned to look at the three behind him, then walked inside.

"He's a teacher." Sara said, once Rip had explained what he heard. The four had returned to the timeship, where Kendra was.

"Tutor, it would seem, to young Per Degaton himself." Rip said.

"You say that like it's supposed to mean something." Snart said.

"After the death of his father, in five year's time, Per Degaton releases the Armageddon Virus, which decimates the world's population leaving it ripe for conquest." Rip said. "Per Degaton primes the world for dictatorship, and then when the time is ripe...Savage snatches that power away from him."

"By killing Per Degaton." Sara said.

"Indeed." Rip said.

"Okay, so we don't have what we need to take out Savage, but maybe now we can figure out a way to stop his rise to power." Kendra said.

"By depriving him of his springboard, Per Degaton." Rip said.

"Okay, how do we do that?" Sara asked.

"It's quite simple, really." Rip said.

"We kill the little bastard ourselves." Snart said.

"To be clear, we're talking about murdering a child." Stein said.

"Who hasn't done anything to anyone." Jax said.

"Yet." Sebastian interjected.

"Why don't we pick him off now, while the picking's easy?" Snart asked.

"There's got to be a better way." Kendra said.

"I don't like the idea of killing a kid, but it would save billions of people." Sebastian said.

"How do we even know that this Per Degaton kid's path to becoming a world-ruling dictator is inevitable?" Ray asked.

"Because in the future that I'm from, children learn about Per Degaton in the same way that children in your time learn about Adolf Hitler." Rip said.

"What about addressing the larger social problems that would allow such a despot's rise to power?" Stein asked.

"We already know what pushes this punk to the dark side: Savage." Snart said.

"Look, it's not the kid's fault he's got an immortal psychopath as his tutor." Jax said.

"If we don't kill this kid now, Savage will as soon as he's done using him to take over the world." Snart said.

"If he doesn't build him into the greatest tyrant the world has ever known, Savage can't become the last tyrant the world will ever know." Rip said.

"Murdering a child in cold blood just like Savage murdered your own son." Stein said. "What's the use in saving the world if we stoop to his level just to do so?"

"I'm with Professor Stein." Ray said.

"Whenever I helped Barry, it was always the people first." Sebastian said. "There has to be some other way."

"Okay, fine." Snart said. "If y'all don't have the guts to kill this kid..."

"Then removing him from the timeline might be the next best thing." Rip said.

"Great." Ray said sarcastically. "We've gone from infanticide to to child abduction. Progress."

"First we need to devise how to abduct him from underneath the noses of his father's private guard." Rip said.

"And don't forget the army of Atom robots." Ray added.

"We're going to need an accomplished thief." Rip said.

"Well, while you're kidnapping baby Hitler, Professor Stein and I will sabotage the robot army." Ray said.

"I call Team Robot Army." Jax said.

"Isn't that a waste of time?" Sara asked.

"Not for the Kasnian citizens who are tormented by my technology." Ray said.

"That technology does lead to Savage's rise to power." Rip said. "Good backup plan."

"I'll be Team Kidnapping." Sebastian said.

"Me too." Sara said.

"Go team." Rip said.

Sebastian stood on the street, trying to look inconspicuous.

"No litter. No street crime. No smog." Snart said. "How soon can we leave?"

"Keep your eyes peeled." Sara said. "According to Gideon, Per Degaton should be passing through any minute on his way to gymnastics class."

"Are you telling me future Hitler is enrolled in a gymnastics class?" Snart asked. "I got eyes on Little Lord Fauntleroy."

"I don't see him." Sara said.

"Because he's got an army surrounding him." Sebastian asked as the kid came into view.

"Northeast corner of the plaza." Snart said.

"Got him." Sara said.

"You sure you don't want to just shoot him?" Snart asked. "It'd be a lot easier."

"Stick to the plan." Rip said. "All of you. Now Ms. Lance." Sebastian watched one of the body guards fall to the ground. He stepped forwards, and dragged the unconscious guard into an alleyway. "I'm in position. It's up to you now Mr. Snart."

It was a few minutes before anything else came through the comms. "We've got the kid."

"What do genocidal maniacs dream about, I wonder?" Sara said. Per Degaton was in the med bay, unconscious.

"He's imagining himself baking cookies with his mother." Gideon answered.

"Wait, you can monitor our dreams?" Sara asked.

"Of course." Gideon said. "For example, last night you had a rollicking fantasy involving a young nurse-"

"Okay, Gideon, enough." Sara cut off Gideon as Sebastian grinned and raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you dare say anything."

"Quelqu'un a le béguin." Sebastian said.

"I swear, I'm not afraid to kill you in your sleep." Sara threatened. "And I will do it slowly and painfully."

"Gideon, check the timeline to make sure that the kidnapping of the boy had the desired effect upon the future." Rip said.

"Oh, dear." Gideon said. "I'm afraid you'll be disappointed with the results."

"What do you mean it did nothing?" Stein asked.

"I mean that kidnapping Per Degaton had a nominal effect on the timeline." Rip answered.

"Maybe we just need to dump the little brat somewhere he can't get into any trouble, like the Stone Age." Snart suggested.

"No matter where and when you sequester him in the timeline, Savage will still rise to power." Gideon said.

"But Rip said this kid's like a baby Hitler." Jax said.

"Yes, I also said that time wants to happen." Rip said. "Such a world changing event like Savage's rise to power can't be stopped by merely kidnapping his young pawn."

"So we're back to plan A?" Snart asked.

"Snuffing the kid out in his sleep?" Sara said.

"What difference does that make if Savage still rises to power?" Sebastian asked.

"Let us not forget that this kid will one day be responsible for billions of deaths, including those of my family." Rip said.

"Say that you do stop Savage and save the lives of your family." Stein said. "Will you be able to look your own son in the eye knowing what you did so that he could live?"

"When the alternative is that I shall never see him again." Rip said.

"I got a better idea." Jax said. "Instead of us arguing whether we should kill him, or where and when to dump him off, why don't we just talk to him?"

"Savage has spent years corrupting his mind." Rip said.

"It's not too late for Per Degaton to change." Sara said.

"Says who?" Rip asked.

"Says someone with two tours with the League of Assassins and a case of bloodlust under her belt." Sara replied, then walked out.

"What was that?" Sara asked s they heard an engine roaring.

"That was our jump ship taking off." Jax answered as the group gathered around the central console.

"How could Per Degaton have escaped?" Stein asked.

"Gideon, who else is on the jumpship?" Ray asked.

"It's being piloted by Captain Hunter." Gideon responded.

"Who just turned off his transponder." Jax said as the location of the ship disappeared.

"Sounds like someone doesn't want us following him." Sara said.

"Why?" Stein asked.

"Because Rip doesn't want us stopping him." she answered.

"Stopping him from doing what?" Jax asked.

"Killing Per Degaton." Sebastian answered.

"Okay, just think about this." Ray said. "Where could Rip be taking Per Degaton?"

"Jumpship's got a range of about 8,000 miles, so anywhere." Jax said.

"It doesn't matter where he's taking him." Sara said. "All that matters is what he's going to do to him when he gets there."

"Rip is not a murderer." Ray said.

"Obviously he doesn't care if he becomes one as long as his own son lives." Sebastian said.

"Rather simple if cold blooded calculus for a father to take." Stein said.

A loud bang shook the time ship. Sebastian stood up.

"Gideon?" Stein asked.

"Tor Degaton's forces have surrounded the ship." she responded. "I'm afraid our shields will not be able to sustain continued bombardment."

"You're afraid?" Sara asked.

"Here's an idea, why don't you fire back?" Snart asked.

"I would except-"

"The flying robots already targeted our weapons systems." Jax said.

"We don't need weapons." Ray said.

"He's right, we have super powers." Stein said.

Sebastian glanced around for a moment, then nodded. "Let's go." he said confidently, and turned in the direction of the loading bay.

"I think you might want to get your suit first." Sara reminded him. Sebastian stooped and sighed.

"Right." he said, and turned to go the other direction. Once he had put on his suit, he joined the others outside in the battle.

He put up his arm to blast them, but when nothing happened, he tried again. Nothing again. He tried his other hand which also failed.

"You've gotta be fucking kidding me." he hissed, and instead punched a robot when it came at him. He immediately regretted the decision, however, when a sharp pain shot through his arm. All he could do in the moment was spew out a string of profanities as he looked at his already deeply bruised hand. He was sure it was broken, but he didn't have all day to mill over that fact, as the robot was unfazed by his attack.

Sebastian put out his good hand, feeling success when he managed to blast the robot. It was only a small blast and created minor damage to it, but it was better than nothing. He took a deep breath, and tried again, successfully creating a blast large enough to destroy the machine.

Ignoring the pain in his right hand, Sebastian continued to fight off the many men and robots aiming to kill them.

After a minute, the flying robots fell from the sky.

"Looks like Raymond was able to sabotage his robot army." Snart said.

"Which means mopping up the rest of these guys shouldn't be a problem." Jax said.

"Oh, it will be a problem." Vandal Savage said, and it was then that Sebastian realized that he had managed to capture Sara.

"What do you want?" Snart asked.

"I want to exchange this woman's life for your captain, Rip Hunter." Savage answered.

"I have a better idea." Rip said, joining the group. He had a gun pointed to Per Degaton's back. "Her life in exchange for his." Tor Degaton stepped forward at the sight of his son. "Your son will be returned to you as soon as you guarantee our safe passage."

"Don't do it, father." Per Degaton said. "If you let them go now, they will only come back for us in the future."

"It's your choice." Rip said, clicking the safety off.

"Your son is right. We should kill them all." Vandal said. Tor took the knife from Vandal's hand, and said,

"Put down your weapons!"

"No, Father!" Per Degaton protested.

"Let my son go, and I will let you leave in peace." Tor Degaton said. "You have my word."

Rip gave Per Degaton a small shove forward. The boy glanced back at him, then walked towards his father. Vandal let Sara go, and she walked towards her team, but not before giving Vandal a quick glare.

The team walked back to the ship, Sebastian holding onto his injured hand. Once on board, he changed out of his suit before heading to the med bay.

Gideon confirmed his suspicions: his hand was indeed broken. But within ten minute, Gideon had easily fixed it.

"Since I failed to bring you in, the Time Masters want to bring me in, and this time, they're not going to take any chances." Mick said. "They're called the Hunters, mercenaries, and unlike me, there isn't a human part left in them."

"So they want to lock us all up in the Vanishing Point?" Ray asked.

"The Hunters do one thing: kill." Mick replied. "Whenever, wherever. They'll stop at nothing till every single one of us is erased from the face of history."

"Do you have any suggestions as to how we might outsmart them, Mr. Rory?" Rip asked.

"Run." Mick answered, before he walked out.

Quelqu'un a le béguin - Someone's got a crush


End file.
